1 the combat competition
by yellow electric seed
Summary: The Project Ark Academy people arrive at Shinra,Jehri catches a glimpse of Jenova as he scans Sephiroth, but doesnt know what it is. Sephiroth encounters Nathan Charrander and shifts his boundries some. mature content!
1. Chapter 1

Here is is, the story now shifts to more familiar grounds for all the final fantasy VII fans, I thought it to be fun to let Sephiroth encounter someone that would challenge him on his own turf, both mentally and physically, throwing in a hesitant attraction to eachother too.

beware! yaoi is building, if you dont like it, stop now.

Part two: the combat competition

_What lies?_

_Full moon and thoughts collide_

_We look for answers in those catatonic, blood shod eyes_

_We ask if vermin are the ones that already learned_

_Those aren't just tears_

_They're just bad bad blood_

_**Bad blood, ministry**_

He couldn't think of anything else anymore, after having looked at the files. The envoi from Althea was coming within a week, and preparations where in full swing. The excitement of the upcoming event was building. Room was being made to accommodate the fifty-plus group that would invade his world. He had no idea what had possessed Shinra to invite these people, but it had to be important, if he was quite willing to have his whole organisation stand on its head for five days. Of course it was none of the presidents concern how much extra work it caused, on top of all the other headache causing duties he had to cope with, as long as his orders where carried out. After having read the files of the commanding officers and a brief description of the different ranks of trainees they would bring, his curiosity had been spiked. Zach sat on the other side of the desk, with his own collection of files sorted in stacks.

"You know Nathan Charrander is planning to bring women in here?" he asked.

"Not planning, he is." Sephiroth corrected.

"You agreed?" Zack asked, his voice lilting with surprise.

"You don't?" the older man asked, wanting to see if his friend's motives matched his own dissaproval.

"I just think the army is no place for women, Seph, it's just.. not natural. No, I don't agree."

"I see your point. Nathan seems to think differently. I'm actually very curious to see what his

girls are capable of, I have heard rumours of them being every bit a capable as a man." The general mused, resting his chin on his knuckles, his eyes on Zack, who was still visibly struggling coming to grips with the idea.

"We can't make special allowances for them, though. We just managed to make room them in the barracks. Did you know Nathan didn't request separate quarters for himself? What if they want to take showers? And you know they all insisted on sleeping on the floor?"

And then there was also the unrest to consider they would cause among the all male population here.

Sephiroth was actually quite amused seeing his friend and fellow officer squirm like this.

"Did you do this on purpose, or something? Do you really enjoy seeing me freak out like this?" Zach said, reading the amusement on Sephiroth's face.

"Of course I do. You're so cute when you're mad." He answered, one corner of his mouth curling, "In answer of your question, the decision wasn't mine to make. Our beloved president saw to that. I think you're exaggerating the situation a bit, Zack." He said, standing up.

"Have all the preparations been made for the outdoor exercise?" he asked, looking outside his office window.

"Yep. The practice grounds have been cleared of all old ammo, and the old storage hangars will serve just fine for the indoor simulations. There is nothing in there which will be missed should people get carried away and start destroying things."

"Good." The General said, pleased that they had gotten ready on schedule.

" I'm actually looking forward to these exercises. Finally a bit of action without any real killing." Zach said. I just wish the preparations where a bit less strenuous."

The General nodded. "That Nathan is no fool. He insists on doing this sort of thing to his new recruits. The show the more experienced combatants put on is apparently realistic enough to make you rethink your decision. He says it helps to weed out the wanna-be's from the genuine warriors."

"Really? I can hardly wait. What if it makes our own recruits turn tail and run?" Zach asked.

"We shall see." The other answered.

"I have got things to do. I will see you later, Seph." Zach said, and shuffled the files into a neat stack, then got ready to leave the office.

Woman warriors, what had the world come to indeed?

"Zach, I have a job to do for you." He said at Zach who already had his hand on the door handle. Something was nagging at his mind. Nathan was up to something, and he was intent on not letting the commander gain advantage over him in any way, especially not on his own turf.

"I want you to spend time with the higher ranking officers, socialize a bit, see what you can find out."

Great! As if he hadn't enough to do "Why?" he asked.

"Feint within a feint, Zach. I need you to do this." Turning his back toward the younger man, dismissing him.

_I can float in here forever.._

_In this room we cant touch the floor.._

_In here we're all anaemic_

_In here, anomic is sweet… so_

_Go get your knife, go get your knife.. and come in_

_**knife party, deftones **_

The moment had finally come. They had arrived. The main gate of the compound opened for the guests to make their entrance. The General and his senior officer could see hem coming up the road, all on foot from the landing strip about a quarter of a mile away. Luggage was taken over by an army truck that rode just behind the small advancing army. From his office he could overlook the entire group.

He could spot the Charrander family members quite easily, having red their personal files recognising Nathan's younger brother Jason, the twins brothers Erik and Enak, one sister had joined as well, judging by the long sleek black hair it was Siona, the Benjamin of the clan. Her appearance a stark contrast to her brothers who stood out above almost every one in the group, and all had coarse reddish blond hair.

Looking at the rest of them, they didn't look very much like a military group, having no real matching uniforms. They all seemed to wear different types of robes, some in tight fitting dark grey combat suits, covered with long armoured sleeveless coats, the ones he recognised as being at novice level, all wearing the same brown Yukata, and light grey hamaka underneath.

They where encircled by the lightly more senior pupils, behind them came the trainees, and the graduates, who differed from the trainees in that they all wore their weapons all openly on their backs, but in the same clothing as the novices.

The ones that impressed him the most, where the Unit Members. All moving with clear intent, all dressed in their black armour, swords slung across their backs, but Sephiroth realised that those where the only ones openly displayed.

Knowledge of your enemy is power, he knew, and they didn't allow their opponent any more then was absolutely necessary. Suddenly several of the persons in combat suits looked up, directly at where he was watching them.

It was impossible for them to see him, as the window of his office where mirrored, but he could swear they all looked straight at him. That was a rather unnerving experience for them both, he had to admit.

"They could see us!" Zach said, "How on Gaial did they know?"

"Lets go welcome our guests, shall we," the general said," try not to look to ruffled, Zach."

They swept into the building like a wave, filling the halls with their presence as they entered, being led by one of the lower ranking officers to the great hall where the general and Zack stood waiting. The group stopped, and folded away left and right, making room for their commanding officer.

Nathan Charrander stepped forward, approaching within a couple of steps from the silver haired General and smiled warmly at him.

"General Sephiroth, it has been a while." He said, his voice low and friendly.

" It has been indeed, Commander Charrander. Welcome to Midgar."

The other man answered, managing to match some of the friendliness of the older man, but still maintaining an unrelenting cool aloofness.

Jeh-ri watched their energies briefly slam into each other, then they clapped their right hands together, Nathan grabbing the other man's shoulder, and briefly, just ever so briefly, the ice broke from the other, and everyone assembled in the hall breathed a sigh of relief.

Without needing much instruction, all groups seemed to know where to find the persons of their own level, as they all started intermingling, haltingly at first, as the cadets of the academy where more used to the rigidity of their more military education, but soon warmed to the more organic flexible feel of the Project Ark people.

The novices and the cadets where almost cute, touching each others clothes and laughing, the more experienced members seeking each other out and taking seats on the floor, talking about the Creator knows what, but all looking friendly. There still would be plenty of time for hostilities, now they where all relaxing, getting a feel for each other. This would prove vital for one of the plans Nathan and the General had worked out together.

_How much do you know, what's been happening?_

_There's a ghost in our hall_

_Watching you without me,_

_But I am not here, I am not here_

_**Watching you without me, Kate Bush**_

From the moment we had entered the academy, Jeh-ri had not felt at ease, never having been in a city or away from the green valleys he'd had grown up in. He now had been transported from a world of wood and stone and earth to one made of steel and concrete, and felt displaced, as a transplanted organ in a foreign body.

Closing himself from the moment we had left the Aeronef, wanting to become dim, invisible. Still managing to maintain this as the commander motioned for all senior officers to follow him and the General to another space, where they all took place, opposing sides facing each other.

As he seated himself behind Nathan and Siona, his sister, he slightly hung his head to his chest as he slowly sank into truth-sayer trance, allowing him to step outside his body, moving around the group, to the side, where he had a clear view of the General.

He could see him self sitting slightly slumped, eyes closed, the energy flowing freely around the room. Nathan and Sephiroth, being physically relatively each other's equals, really enjoyed locking minds, Nathan having cooled to match this other man's demeanour, wanting his cooperation, further cementing and confirming the details of the events to come. The handsome young man with long black spiky hair seemed to have found a connection with Ian and the twins, who in their energy seemed so similar they could have been siblings. Siona and Leisa sitting side by side, knowing that they would be largely ignored, not out of impoliteness, but out of awkwardness from the other party, quietly observing the members of the opposition.

He briefly ventured back to the training dome, looking at the group of people gathered there, seeing what the presence that their females was having on the other group. Nervous energies where blooming like anemones in coral reef. Check out the fireworks! They where in for some interesting days, all right!

Then he turned his attention back to this mysterious general. On the surface his energy seemed bruised, scarred, and he could briefly see a shimmer how his energy and that of the man beside him intermingled with each other. Seeing this, Jeh-ri knew they had been intimate at one stage. Of everyone he was the most trusted one here, but not ever letting him in.

Digging a little deeper, right beneath the surface, he could see a lot of physical suffering, burning, and seething at the hand of someone who he seemed to see as his father, his mind spinning at the amounts of Mako that had been injected into him already, making the veins in his body stand out like ill looking rivers of mercury.

But there was something else as well.

The mindreader tried to sink in even deeper, moving to another level. All around now he could see how the first class SOLDIERS had been injected too, but no one as badly as this Sephiroth and then the alter ego emerged, ever so slightly, could see something superimpose itself, hovering behind him and above him.

An entity emerged as if stepping from a shadow into a pale stream of light. A tortured female form, torn to pieces, suspended in a tank filled with tubes and fluids in some kind of laboratory. One bright eye gleamed in the soggy expressionless face, behind one the armless shoulder the remains of what once must have been a wing, and then the who merged. For one split second he could see what would become of this man, the atrocity, the calamity reborn. Destructive, monstrous, insane. And then it happened; he looked back at him.

Not at the still form half hidden behind his Commander, but at the disembodied spirit, and he also knew it wasn't the Sephiroth sitting here in the room that saw him, but the other. It seemed to sink into him again, whispering at him, and his eyes now briefly shifted focus, looking straight at him.

Startled he fled back into his body, which started to tremble uncontrollably at the forced re-entry. The man was glad that Nathan's back was so broad. It shielded it from the prying eyes of the man across the boardroom table.

He slowly regained control of his senses, his hearing coming back first then his sight slowly becoming clear again. He still felt cold though, and Leisa moved beside him, poking him hard in the ribs, trying to get himself together.

Sephiroth enjoyed discussing the events with this commander, finally being able to talk with someone more of his level. They talked about the where, what and when, confirming the agenda. Nathan broke off their conversation to ask something to one of the officers beside him, and he was briefly left to his own thoughts. Then something caught his eye, a shimmer seemed to appear off to the side of the room, just within the reach of his peripheral vision, but as he shifted focus, it disappeared.

Then he noticed the young woman who was beside the commander's sister before, change position and her shoulder making a small sharp movement to something to the left of her.

Spotting the young man with the red hair, he slightly shifted in his seat, trying to get a better view. He could remember taking every ones face in as they had seated themselves and had been introduced, but him he couldn't remember at all. That was very unusual, as he never overlooked anyone, especially if that person was allowed into the boardroom.

"I think one of your staff is bored." He said indicating his head toward the young man who now turned extremely pale. If the negotiations of these events are making you fall asleep, maybe you should step outside." His voice but cold and hard, striking him like a whip.

"Jeh-ri, explain yourself." Nathan snapped, covering the fact that he knew exactly why he was in his currant state.

"I am.. Very sorry if I have offended you, General," Holding his voice steady and low, denying the fact he was in fact doing something untoward, jolting him to full awareness again. "This is how I concentrate best on what is being said." His cheeks burning with this sudden attention.

'_Save me, Nathan, he saw me as I was scanning him, don't ask me how!' _

"Jeh-ri here is gifted with an amazing memory and has never been on an official task before. In order to store all that has been said, he placed himself in a trance, cutting off all other sensory perception except for what he hears." Nathan explained, still sounding annoyed at the fact I hadn't been able to stay out of sight.

"Has he indeed, I'll be looking forward to seeing this in action during our combat simulations, I will make sure to make full use of it." He said coldly, not sounding impressed

_Fuck, fuck, fucked it up!!_

He looked up at him with a start, seeing the pale hard green of his eyes for the first time, making the chill run cold shivers down his spine. What on the planet was the General talking about? He would find out soon enough, as it turned out, as tomorrow the first simulation would start. Every one filed out of the boardroom leaving him disorientated and very angry with himself. Erik came up to him, having hung back somewhat.

"That was very clumsy of you, I thought I had taught you better than that." he growled at him, leaning against the broad boardroom table, arms crossed.

"He saw me, Sir." He said, his mind still a mess. And he had hurt him just by looking at him.. He was now scared beyond his wits, trembling. "He broke through my defences like they weren't even there."

"He broke through because they weren't in place, Jeh-ri," he said. You made the mistake of thinking that you would be invisible, not having anyone around with your abilities. Here's an important lesson for you." He said, and he was totally right. He had only put energy into making himself unnoticed, but had put no mind into defending himself.

"And stop with the formalities. It is bad enough having dad rope me into this mission. You look different, dear, but you are still the same person I knew in the academy. He will get to you through your emotions, it will be your undoing if you don't exercise some more control." He stood up, and followed the rest of the group. He followed, having a lot to stow away, and didn't speak to anyone until evening fell.

They al got their gear together and where shown around the rest of the building. Settling into their assigned sleeping quarters which existed of two adjoined rooms, one quite large and one smaller. The novices, pupils and trainees bounced into the larger of the rooms, getting a mattress from a large pile in one of the corners.

"Do they always show this amount of lack of self control?" Sephiroth asked Nathan, obviously annoyed at all the noise.

Not being intimidated by the thoroughly disapproving look from his host, Nathan gestured for the twins to come closer.

"Its just the new environment, General, and most of them being still quite young, always seem to have an abundance of energy. Just watch." Nathan placed one of his hands on each shoulders of the twins. Briefly looking at them, after which they entered the room.

Sephiroth observed how the twins dealt with the nervous energy of them all, as he and Zach had watched the state of disorder with which the group had piled into the room. Erik and Enak stood back to back in the middle of the room, just raised one hand, palm facing outward, and turned a slow circle. As they did, every one looked at their faces, calmed down, and immediately and went about their business, without saying anything.

One minute later they where all settled on their mattresses, either kneeling or in lotus position, looking intently at the two brothers, one with the huge mass of dreadlocks and braids hanging down to his waist, the other, jet black and straight hair just as long, but tied into a ponytail at the nape of his neck. Then they turned toward Zack, Erik grinning fiercely, Enak smiling softly, who had been silently watching with awe.

Nathan entered the room and they all looked up to him as one.

"Kat ta nag na mon tia na kat anor, kweh tsa aa mun." he said slowly, lilting and singing the words, carefully laying the right amount of stress in the rhythm of the syllables.

'_Bed down and rest well, my young ones, tomorrow you will need your strength.'_

"Yes Commander, good night." They all said in one voice, and went about getting settled for the night, still silent as cats.

"Hm, impressive, commander." Sephiroth said. His voice level, betraying no emotion. He and Nathan walked off by them selves a little and Zach walked over to the twins who had stepped outside the room.

"What was that language you just spoke there?" he asked genuinely curious.

"Nay- Ta-uut, Sephiroth, battle language."

"It doesn't sound like anything I have ever heard." He said.

"That would surprise me, as you will be the first outside our people to hear it." Nathan said, now them being somewhat by themselves, they could discuss more serious matters.

"The syllables are at random to be assembled, changing meaning all the time, but loaded with a program that even the youngest novice can hear and will obey. Where most military outfits seem to busy themselves barking orders, we sing to them."

"You do things your way, I'll do it mine." He said sharply.

"I know, General, I have been to training academies the whole planet over, and nowhere do I encounter things differently from here."

"How did you do that?" Zach asked, "if I could my cadets to get that focused before exams, they'd all be straight A students!"

Erik grinned. "It takes years of practice-","-and an unhealthy overdose of charisma" Enak finished sarcastically, looking at his brother. They left the room entering the hallway, eyes locking.

"Lighten up, brother.." he goaded, making kissing noises at Enak, who slapped him clean across the face, smiled wickedly, then turned and stalked away. Erik just stood there, grinning broadly. "Nice to see your mood is still on the up and up!" Erik called after his retreating twin.

Jeh-ri had entered the hall finally being able to be amongst my people again after his brief self invoked punishment, and had watched what had taken place. He sighed deeply.

"Emotional bunch, aren't you?" Zach observed, and Jeh-ri being of a lower rank than them, felt responsible for apologising on their behalf to Zach, whose face had reached all new heights of puzzlement.

"I am sorry you had to see that." Jeh-ri said to him and he turned to face Zach.

He shook his head, not understanding. "What was that?" He asked eyes still wide with amazement.

"They have a history, Sir. It is the first time in years that they are together. They will be reprimanded, for their behaviour" He explained. Those idiots! Jeh-ri was embarrassed enough being caught with his pants down during a routine scan, but them venting old hurt in full view of people they needed to impress, was unforgivable.

"Name and rank, combatant." He said drawing him self up, folding his arms, showing the other proper behaviour, as he flushed in embarrassment again. There would have a shitload to make up for.

"Jeh-ri Sung, Sir, graduate level. After these simulations he will hear if a make the grade of Unit member." He said, and they walked slowly down the hallway, nowhere really in particular.

"On what depends that assessment?" he asked and the other could feel some friendliness come into his voice.

"Whether or not I have shown to have mastered and utilized all that has been taught to me in my training. We don't really have exams, we just get sent out on missions, and get observed."

"Explain your ranking system to me, I have read the files, but couldn't get a clear picture in my head." It seemed a neutral enough thing to talk about, so he agreed.

He went on to explain that you entered the temple as novice, where your strengths are tested, and finding that what suits you most. Not all that entered became warriors, some becoming healers, herbalists, black smiths, armour makers, intelligence gatherers, or administrative staff. If you had the disposition, your novice status was elevated to pupil, where you get taught hand-to-hand combat, and basic training in swordsmanship. From that level you could grow to trainee, using real weapons, like learning archery; kyudo, the katana, and other shorter blades, and the Souba; the double bladed Katana, but not many did that, being actually only for those who had reached Unit member level. After completing those skills, you received your armour, made specially only for you. That was the level he was at now, only lacking combat experience. They continued talking about training, discussing the differences in approach, and the advantages and disadvantages of both.

He felt a warm tingling along his stomach, being able to talk about the things he loved, eased the tension.

"So after this is all over, you get sent on real missions?" Zach asked, having listened intently.

He nodded, "But only if you have agreed to enter special operations. Otherwise you just belong to the regular forces. Then you stay at the temple only at short intervals to keep your skills sharp, but for the rest of the time you are free to get a partner and start a family if you want."

"Do you want a family?" Zach asked as the other withdrew back into himself fast, not wanting to go there, not thinking of all he had left behind.

"I.. would like to sometime in the future, but not for quite while. Do you?" He said as he deflected the subject back at the dark haired man.

"I have a girlfriend in Nimbelheim." He said.

"So do I, she is a at the temple with me." Jeh-ri added.

"Is she learning to become a healer or something? " he asked, presuming too much for his liking.

"No, she has entered trainee level now. She is getting good too, I still have some bruises to show for it." He said trying to rub him up the wrong way.

"You.. spar together?" he asked, his eyes wide with surprise.

"Of course we do. Its great foreplay, you know." He said, teasing him, watched as the others mind reeling at the thought. He had caught on the slight sexist tone in his questions about him having a partner in the same training program as himself, and didn't like it.

"I sense you don't approve, Zach." He ventured on the border of informality, he knew. He was nice enough to have shown a genuine interest in him and his people, and felt the need to explain further, trying to make him see things their way.

"We have the courage to realize that those with no weapons or the skills to use them are killed just the same by those who can. My people just want everyone to have a fighting chance, Zach. All the girls and young women with us are here because they chose this life. They are a force to be reckoned with, you will see." Jeh-ri realised his last retort sounded more than a bit on the defensive side.

"Have you ever seen it, Zach? Villages butchered and burned, the streets littered with the bodies of those unable to defend themselves?" He asked gently, knowing this was all a lot for him to take in at once. As time would tell, he would.

"I am sorry if I have offended you, Jeh-ri. We just do things differently around here. I am looking forward to tomorrow, though." He said, but he could still feel the unease in his voice.

"I would like to continue this conversation sometime soon, if you like?" He asked. The other nodded and smiled in agreement.

He went his own way and he entered the room that had been reserved for the seniors of the group, finding Hazel already settled on her mattress and beckoned him to join her. He let his clothes fall of him and as she opened to covers to reveal her sleek, naked form, he knew that at this moment he was faced with the ultimate choice, he would elect to stay Jeh-ri, make her his sim partner and just stay with Hazel. He felt a hand reach under their covers and pinching him in butt.

"Oi! No bonking, lover boy!" Ian and Leisa had made their bed beside theirs.

"So what do you think of General Sephiroth, people." Nathan boomed across the room, him being on his mattress against the far wall.

"I think he really easy on the eyes, that's for sure." Hazel answered. Did you see that hair of his?" she whispered at Leisa who smiled at her in agreement.

"Cold, though." Siona joined in from across the room.

"I don't find him attractive in that way at all." Another woman's voice from further down the room said. "He has an amazing presence though, awesome.. he demands your attention just by being in the same space with you." A murmur of agreement rolled through the room.

"In a way, he is a lot like you, brother," Siona said, "but where he commands loyalty and devotion of his troops, demanding it. But with us it is given, freely. Having all of that personality bearing down upon you kind of forces you into submission." He agreed to that, so did the others.

"I guess we just looooove you to death, Nate." Ian jibed. "I wonder what he's like in bed though.." Ian said. Jeh-ri punched him in the ribs, and he burst out laughing as did the rest of us.

"That is probably how he gets his partners too." Leisa mused.

"The boys here sure worship the ground he walks on, that's for sure." One of the other men said.

Leisa nodded in agreement. "He is not for us girls anyway."

"Ah! I knew it, he likes men." Hazel chimed in.

"I think he finds us too soft, to fragile to entice him. He probably finds us too emotional too, to contrasting to that cool aloof attitude of his." Leisa said. "He would have a hard time finding someone to match him physically."

"He appreciates his strength too much, using it as a shield. That's why men. it makes me wander in what sort of setting he grew up in." Jeh-ri mused, "He is looking for a counterpart, someone who is his mirror and his opposite, But at the same time he trusts no one what so ever. Even his second in command, that Zach, he has been close with him, but more in a maintenance kind of way, there's no love in it." he said, giving an assessment of what he had seen in the scan, but not mentioning the vision he had seen, the creature hidden inside.

"Have you sparred him, Commander?" one of the unit members asked.

"I didn't get the chance the last time I was here, but I have seen him in action once, but only from a distance." Nathan told him.

"Is he any good with that oversized butter knife of his, Nate?" Ian asked.

"He could cut your armour off you stitch by stitch, peeling you like an orange and never graze your skin, Ian. Underestimating him with his Masamune is the last mistake you'll ever make." Nathan concluded, his voice trailing off as in a day dream.

"Aaahh what fantastic foreplay that would've been," Ian panted at Leisa. " Take me, Leisa I'm so horny I could burst!"

"Get a grip, combatant." Leisa said flatly, her eyes humourless, the rest of them laughing again.

He was wondering briefly what the General would have thought of them having a military briefing this way, all naked on their mattresses on the floor, curled up comfortable with their partners and family. A split moment later he decided that he didn't really care as Hazel softly touched him, tracing his collarbone with her tongue, seeking intimacy. Their bodies entwined briefly, not really having the privacy they needed, and then falling into a deep sleep.

During the night, Sephiroth had decided to go for a walk through the levels where his guests had been placed. He'd been having trouble sleeping since his last Mako treatment. After the initial days of physical discomfort and delirium, he now became restless, and had a tightness in his head that came and went, driving him mad at times and depriving him of his much needed sleep.

Walking along the corridors he suddenly found himself wandering into the area he had Zach reserve in order to keep them somewhat isolated from the rest of the population, en encountered a female guard standing at a strategic point in the hallway. The woman inclined her head respectfully, "Good morning, General" she said. Not knowing what to call her, he just nodded back, but didn't pay any more attention to her as was necessary. As he mover further into the compound, he encountered more guards, but they where all al already alerted to his presence.

Finally he encountered one of the women in the grey combat suits, knowing them to be Nathan's personal guard. "Is there anything I can do for you?" She asked, her voice slightly annoyed, probably wandering why he was here this hour of the night. Why had he come here anyway?

"Just making sure everything is all right." He said, feeling that he didn't really need to explain himself to this person, but still having to admit to himself that it was irregular for him to just wander around here.

He decided it was better for him to return to his own rooms, maybe get some sleep. As he walked passed the large doors of the rooms where the guests where sleeping, he could several pairs of eyes glow at him in the dark. We know you are here, don't try anything funny, they seemed to say at him. Someone had appeared at the doorway, and he recognised one of the twin brothers.

"You look troubled, General." He stated, not looking one bit rumpled or tired from having spent the night awake.

"You must have looked after those young ones more often. They look very comfortable with you." He said, deflecting the subject.

"I am a teacher at the Project Ark academy, as is my brother. We have trained most of them."

The man answered. Him and the other might be twins, but they where not identical. This one was much more delicate, with a slighter build, his long black hair, now free from the ponytail and it streamed over bare shoulders, and his skin a reddish brown.

His build was muscular, and slightly shorter than himself but no way near as burly as his brother, who was built like a tank. His eyes where most different though. They where a light brown, almost going toward a deep golden orange.

He wore wide falling pants, clinging to his hips just below his navel by a weapon belt, and his feet where bare. They all had bare feet, with only the Commander and his personal guards as an exception. Nice.. very nice. He briefly hoped he would be the one to pull a black marble from the bag tomorrow, placing him in his camp, at his disposal. His attitude was defensive, as Sephiroth had to justify his presence here.

Satisfied that nothing was the matter, the man turned, "Good night, General." Enak said, in a tone of voice that told him that he was no longer welcome, and stepped over the still sleeping shapes on the floor, where he again sat down, but his eyes still shining back at the silver haired intruder in the hall.

As he turned to walk back out the same way he had come in, he encountered the Commander in the corridor, which had elevators that gave access to the higher levels of the Shinra Building. He was wearing a long black silk kimono that reached all the way down, hiding his feet, his hands hidden in the wide flowing sleeves. His light blond hair spilling free across his shoulders reaching halfway down to his elbows. He just stood there, leaning against the wall, his face expressionless, his arms crossed on his chest.

"Trouble sleeping, General?" He said, his voice level, authoritive. "I heard you where wandering around our part of the building, I thought I'd meet you half way."

There it was again, that annoying feeling he was being led somewhere, manipulated in a way that was so subtle it was barely noticeable.

"You presume much." He sneered.

"Do I now?" he said, smiling, with a look on his face that told him not to play this game as if he didn't know what this was about. "Do you think I am some horny old man cruising for a piece of ass, Sephiroth?"

"The thought just crossed my mind." He said, withdrawing behind his comfortable wall of arrogance again.

One of Nathan's eyebrows shot up, but the retort didn't seem to ruffle him in the slightest.

"If that is the case, that would that make you, walking around the guest area looking for me?"

Sephiroth turned from the older man with a snort.

"What makes you so damn sure I am attracted to you?"

"I send the invitation, and you took it, seeking me out." He said his voice warmer now, but still in control, not giving the other the chance to deny why he had indeed given into an overwhelming need to see him, to be in his presence.

"If you weren't interested, you could have ignored the impression I sent you. I know you are very capable of ignoring fleeting moments, always so in control of your emotions, but you made a decision to act on it." Had he done that? Had he really made a conscious decision to walk into that area of the building? He had wandered what he was doing there, but it seemed unimportant as he had a need that was crying to be fulfilled.

"I see you are not ready, that is too bad. Good night, General." He said, and walked away.

This was a trap, and he knew it too. Nathan had thrown him a baited line, trying to intrigue him. But if he didn't care, then why did he have this damn ache in his stomach, why did it seem to matter like nothing else in the world?

He punched in the access code that would allow him to ascend to the level where his apartment was, and gestured with his hand for the Commander to join him. "Commander, would you join me, please" he asked, through clenched teeth, his irritation rising to an unbearable level.

The commander turned slowly, frowning, then walking toward the open doors of the elevator with slow deliberate steps, as if to give the younger man to change his mind again.

Sephiroth resented his own confusion, as the elevator went up, the who men circled each other, the older man still with his hands still hidden as his arms where crossed on his chest, the younger one trying his best to decide on a next course of action.

Sephiroth hit the stop button on the control panel, and the elevator jerked to a halt.

Suddenly he realized what had gone on, finally being able to pinpoint the annoying itch at the back of his consciousness, feeling the soft whisper of Nathan's ghost fingers tease his mind.

"Get out of my head." He said, snarling at the older man, who's eyes flashed briefly, but didn't waver. He pushed with his ghost, trying to make the feeling disappear, fighting to regain control.

The air in the small elevator bristled with energy as the two men locked minds. One trying to push the other back, the other just absorbing the onslaught, letting it glance off sideways and around. Then the intent shifted again, as he no longer felt the need to fight, but just encountered the older man's presence, as a parent inviting a child to come for an embrace.

"I never intended to hurt you, I just want to show you something." He said quietly. "I just needed to entice you a bit, to be open to the experience."

"What do you want from me?" The younger man snapped, already knowing the answer, but needing to hear the other admit it to his face.

"You are angry, why?" the blond haired man said quietly, his eyes soft beneath the reddish blond feathery eyebrows.

He realised now what it was, that slow tingling churning feeling in the pit of his stomach. Nathan wanted him, and he now realised he was too intrigued to pull back.

"What are you afraid of? That you might actually find a challenge, other that total unconditional surrender you usually encounter?" Nathan asked, his face still unyielding and level.

The General had to agree with the older man, there had been interests here, but they had been easy to overcome, to dominate. This man actually did have every capability to give rise to a totally new experience. Offering the choice of letting go, of being showed the other side of the coin.

He pushed off the side of the elevator he had been leaning against. As they now stood eye to eye, he could sense the older mans presence enveloping him, as one black silk arm rose and took his hip, but then withdrew, as the elevator had reached the selected floor.

The silver haired man leading the way down a long corridor, then turning to another wing. opening a door after entering another access code, that gave way to a small hall where the General took off his boots, and opened another door to a living area, which was very sparsely furnished by only two low dark brown tables and one long closet along the wall, the doors solid and unreflective of the person who lived here.

The Masamune cradled on a horizontal standard against the far wall, glinting in the clear hard overhead lights.

Nathan walked over to the seven foot long sword. "May I?" he asked, and the General nodded. He lifted it off the black wooden standard, feeling its weight, not unlike his Souba, but at least two feet longer. He slowly swung the great sliver of metal around him, searching for balance, but returned it to its place.

"Do you think you could wield it?" The younger man asked, his eyes amused.

"If left with no choice, I think I could, but it would take a lot of getting used to. You have my admiration"

"Flattery will get you nowhere, Nathan." He said, his voice humourless.

"I would be a bit disappointed if it did, Sephiroth." He said, mimicking the younger man's invitation for informality.

Now the younger man had taken his boots off, Nathan was slightly taller, but only by about the width of an eye.

Nathan stepped up to him, and placed one large square hand on the younger man's cheek. "I know why you are hiding, why you don't allow yourself to feel, child." He whispered into his mind, finding the connection frighteningly easy to make, realizing this one had no idea of his potential, and it was better this way.

"Child?" He countered, slightly annoyed at the demeaning comment.

"I am old enough to be your grandfather, Sephiroth. I was already fighting against the enemies of my people when your parents where still children. I think I deserve to look at you that way." He said softy. He laughed at the look of puzzlement on the pale face. "We Altheans age very, very slowly."

"I don't mind you staying just where you are, I know you feel safer that way. It just means I will have to come to you." Sephiroth decided to go along with him, not knowing if this man was worthy of trust, but the feeling growing in his chest told him different, knowing there was no treachery in the pale blue of his irises that had him pinned from the word go. He slid one hand behind the others neck, and pulled him in to a rough kiss, their mouths greedily biting into each other.

The silver haired man heard him swallow, as he drank him in, his eyes never leaving his, and he held the connection even as the other man gently but insistently pressed his body against his.

Nathan placed one hand within the coat of the General, on the bare chest, and let the other hand undo the one clasp that held the two halves together. Slowly he peeled away all the layers of black leather until there was nothing left to hold him away, he slid his hands along his sides to his waist, and lifted him up, off the ground.

Sephiroth's heart raced as he felt the hard strength of the gold blond man's hands dig into the muscles of his sides, and lift him up. He pulled his knees up so the pale strong legs could wrap themselves around his waist, the contrast in hue to his black kimono shocking as he held him up against the wall.

The smooth slick feel of the silk against the insides of his legs and lower abdomen, as well as the sleepy, sensitive parts of him, now waking up, felt cool and warm at the same time.

He slid his hands along the collar of the kimono, feeling the hard muscles and the strands of coarse gold blond hair that felt a lot softer that they looked. With one powerful heave he managed to pull the slack up from the sash around Nathan's waist, allowing the fabric to slide of his shoulders.

The older man pulled his arms free from the kimono and pressed his chest against that of the other, who tightening his legs around his waist, making him moan from the pressure he was exerting on his ribs. He laughed as Nathan buried his face against his neck, biting hard into the muscle between his shoulder and neck, bruising him. Nathan pulled the knot out of the obi around his waist, letting the kimono fall to the ground.

"The Great Creator made bodies as a temple for the soul, Sephiroth, and sex is the ultimate form of worship." He whispered up at the pale face above him, the emerald green around the cat's pupils drilling into the sky blue of his eyes.

"Then worship me, Nathan, and be always find all others wanting in comparison." He breathed back.

"There never was any doubt in my mind." He said back, meaning every word.

Then he lifted Sephiroth off the wall and into his arms as if he where a bride, his hair falling like a silvery white veil around and enveloping them both as they kissed again, and carried him off to the bed.

_Come on get up and let me see your bruises_

_Come on, get up_

_Come on get up, and let me see your bruises_

_Come on, get up_

_Bruises, Unloco _

They assembled all again in the great hall the next day, after having a simple breakfast. Most of the novices and pupil curious at the food we where getting, had eaten their fill.

He shot a nervous glance at Erik, who had the reputation of starting food fights, but he noticed Ian talking to him, keeping his mind on something else, thank the Creator for that.

Jeh-ri spotted Zach sitting at one of the tables too, and he motioned for him to come and join him. Hazel was already sitting at the same table opposite him, talking.

"Are you trying to chat up my girlfriend, Zach?" He said smiling, Hazel smiling wildly.

"She.. oh okay. Sorry man, I had no idea, really!" he apologised, raising his hands laughing, feigning regret. By Gaia, did he and Ian have a lot in common! Speaking of which, he suddenly came into view, walking in along the side of the General and the commander, flanked by some of his first class SOLDIERs already in full battle gear.

As his presence entering the hall, everyone fell silent at once. He could see the younger members of our group look him, filled with awe. Him and Nathan briefly locked eyes, then Nathan nodded. Sephiroth's voice snapped like a whip;

"Today we will go outside for our outdoor combat exercise. You will all get your gear together and be ready within the hour to head outside. That will be all." He concluded. All the Shinra troops jumped to their feet, hurrying to meet their General's demand.

He noticed that all their novices, pupils, and trainees had hurried out together with the cadets, only the graduates and unit members remaining. Maybe it was because they had already put on everything needed, having received the orders in their sleep just before sun up, or was the General testing his hold over their more influence able people. He had found himself fighting a brief impulse to jump up too, seeing his fellow graduates and even the unit members twitch visibly, much to Zach's amusement.

"Quite the commanding presence isn't he?" He grinned at him, "He's a bully, but he is our bully." He whispered at Hazel who smiled at him. He _is_ chatting up my girlfriend, he thought!

Sephiroth looked at the Commander, a cold little smile flickered across his face, then turned and walked back out. Nathan sniggering to himself, shaking his head, amused by something he and the General must have had shared in the earlier hours of the morning.

In less than half an hour everyone was ready in the exercise hall they had al encountered each other the day before. Nathan stood in the middle of the floor, Sephiroth at his side them both holding a black bag.

Nathan raised his voice, every bit of commanding as Sephiroth, but different in intent, deep and rough, yet missing the cold steel undertone of the General.

"Every one here with the exception of the novices and the class three cadets will come forward in turn and take a marble from the bag. The ones with the white marble will join me, the ones with the black marble will join General Sephiroth. The purpose of this being to test how well you all will take orders from someone besides the ones who trained you, and testing your ability to fit in with new brothers and sisters in arms. The moment the last marble had been claimed, the white troops will go to the mess hall and await the order to go on the hunt for the black troops, then the exercise will begin! "

A loud roar went through hall, he noticed that most of it was coming from his people, revelling at the thought of the hunt that would soon be on. Then he realised what had gone on before. Nathan had won the toss for who would be the hunter, and Sephiroth had taken it out on all of them, demonstrated his ability to out dominate Nathan's presence in the mess hall by ordering his and the troops of his guest. Tit for tat. He nearly burst his seams with mirth! The General was human after all, and a sore loser too.

His heart sang with anticipation. Outside, yeah! Finally out of this box of concrete and steel.

Slowly the seniors stood up, one by one and walked over toward the two leaders, standing in the middle of the hall. As they pulled a marble from the bag, they showed it to the one man the colour corresponded with, and went to stand beside them. Master Samune took white, Master Tsuba, black. Zach also got white, as did Leisa. Siona got black, and looked at Sephiroth, and nodded; his face stone cold as alabaster. The twins approached, both pulling black. Thank goodness, at least they where on the same team. Things would get complicated enough without those two having it out. Ian also drew black, and so did several other unit members. A lot of Sephiroth's seniors went to Nathan's side, now it was his turn, having let all that outranked him go first. He elected to take a marble from the General's bag, just to make a point, that despite the poor impression he had left on him the day before, he wanted to prove himself.

He saw a slight flicker in his eyes as he stepped up to him and reached inside the bag. And although his insides where squirming, did so without trembling and produced the marble and held it up to him without looking at it. He knew from the moment we where told what was going to happen today, that he would draw a black marble. He looked him in the eye, but saw nothing reflected back.

He was glad to see that Hazel had gotten black also and she quietly settled more to the back of the group, which was steadily growing. Now everyone had been sorted into their teams, the time had come for us to head out toward training grounds. Master Tsuba, being the oldest and most experienced, approached the General. "What are your orders, Sir." He said formally.

"Sort our troops, send scouts and march us to a place where we will make our defence, Master Suba." He said, and stood back, arms crossed. He could read the look on his face, lets see what these kids can do, it said.

Master Tsuba who took the general's elbow, before we head out "Sir, can I have a word with you please."

The general frowned slightly, eyebrows furrowing. Master Tsuba gestured for Enak who had been wearing a large hooded cloak for some reason, to join him.

"What do you have in mind, Master?" He asked, not really in the mood for games, but curious non the less.

"I have been assigned to you by fate. General. And I will serve to the best of my ability." The older man stated.

Sephiroth nodded in acknowledgement of this. He expected a little give on his part.

"I know my enemy, and his way of warfare, having trained him myself."

"I am counting on you using that to our advantage, I take it?"

"I am. Enak here matches your physical appearance the most, I would have you dress the same as us."

"I do not hide from my enemy. Never have, never will." The General said sternly.

"I know, and so does your opponent, Sir. Our strength as warriors comes from individuality, working together as a single unit. Not having one member stand out too much from the rest, confuses the enemy." At that he pulled the hood away from Enak, and all of us let out a gasp of surprise as Enak's hair had gone from jet black to snow white overnight. His skin colour had also become a lot lighter, just a little darker than the Generals.

The look on his face took on a look fierceness and amusement as the idea took hold, and he undid the straps that held his shoulder guards in place. Enak caught them, and moved off to one side. Master Tsuba gestured to three of the unit members, who produced parts of a new upper body armour ones similar to the one we all wore, made from interlacing layers of toughened Borronix hide. The general took off his long coat, stood there stripped to his waist, as Master Suba handed him an undershirt. At first he had refused the padded shirt, but Master Suba pointed out that the new armour hadn't been broken in and would rub him raw if he didn't put it on.

One Unit member handed him a long overcoat, similar in appearance and length as his own, but with loops that allowed for the attachments for the different layers of outer armour to guard his shoulders and spine. The unit members held the different layers in place as Master Suba moved around the taller man, letting parts out around his upper chest, and fastening straps.

The other men folded away from the general revealing his new form, and he could hear the sharp intake of breath from his fellow combatants. My, he was a sight to behold, now completely covered in black. He rolled his shoulders, shifting the guards in place, testing their movement. Then he looked at Jeh-ri's bare feet, and frowned disapprovingly.

"I have agreed to change for you, now you put some shoes on." He said, "I know that my men will exploit your unprotected feet, and you cannot fight if you can't stand." He said, as he moved so fast on him, he felt the gentle pressure of one of his boots on his toes, before he could blink. Fair enough. he could always just place his hands on the ground if he needed to scan the environment. They all put winter boots on, fastening buckles and tying laces fast.

"What is the terrain like, sir?" Master Tsuba asked.

"Sand, dust, rocks, some sparse shrubbery, but nothing much."

"Tehemat set" – _desert country_- Master Tsuba said to us, automatically falling back to their battle language.

They took off the Yukata and turned it inside out, to match the colour of the terrain. Others produced similar garments for the SOLDIERs to put on over their combat gear. Then we had one more surprise for him as he produced his sheathed Masamune, they all pulled two sticks from their packs, and joined them together to form a similar shaped weapon. Looking around the group, they now all looked alike.

Enak rejoined us, now wearing the General's armour.

Master Tsuba shifted his gaze back and forth between Enak and the General, and seeing what he was getting at, Jeh-ri walked up to him, drawing a short blade from a holster at his thigh. Enak knelt, so he could undo the tie which held his hair back, then gathered a small amount of his soft tresses that framed his face, and cutting them to match that of his silver haired counterpart. Of course was Enak not of his physical calibre, being a bit shorter and slighter of build, but even from a small distance the resemblance was quite disturbing. The Shinra SOLDIERS looked at each other. Confused, but fascinated.

"Wow, if you told me that Enak would turn into Sephiroth minor today, I would have asked you to share your drugs with me." Ian observed "This is freaky!" and jeh-ri had to agree.

In order to make our troops more efficient, Master Tsuba coupled one of his own to one of the Shinra men, and then gave orders to three teams to scout ahead, exploring the grounds and seeking places in which an ambush could lie in waiting, but nothing happened as they left the Shinra outer gates. They poured into the south side of the valley, which was strewn with rocks and coarse shrubbery.

The ground consisting of a yellowish grey sand and dust which flew up as they walked.

"General, I suggest a different way of going to our destination. This dust will give away our position and number."

"What do you suggest?" The General asked, very interested to see what surprise would this older battle hardened man would spring on him.

I want you to avoid the ground as much as possible, use the rocks." He said.

"Some of those rocks are too far apart to jump for some of our less advanced men." One of the SOLDIERs observed.

Master Tsuba gestured for his Unit members to come together.

"Let's play catch, people, help each other across. Jumping from rock to rock was quite exhilarating, as his fellow teammates always used to training outdoors, bounced around happily. The lower ranking and less experienced SOLDIERs who had trouble keeping up where given a boost, allowing them to fly to the next rock where one of the Project Ark people would help them to land, ensured them to find footing. He looked back at the General, who easily kept up, his first class men, Master Suba and Enak always staying close to him. But just slightly more ahead.

He saw how well the younger man managed to mimic his leader, in presence as well as movements. It was quite unnerving to behold.

Then suddenly an arrow came flying out of nowhere, striking one of the men closest to Enak, who drew his Katana and beat away another arrow shot at him. Hazel and the other archers took out their Ybi's and got ready to return fire. Erik and Ian looked at the General who jerked his head in the direction the arrows had come from. They took off, running fast, under cover of Hazel and Siona who where firing their arrows in response to other arrows still coming at Enak, but now where also coming more in the direction of the General, now that they had seen their mistake. He had drawn his Masamune and was picking the arrows fired at him out of the air like flies.

Moments later Ian and Erik emerged, each carrying a man, one of the Commander, and one SOLDIER. Each had been tagged, and they now where no longer allowed to participate in the simulation.

"Make you way back to the academy for assessment." The General said, and sent them on their way.

"That was a bit cowardly, sending assassins like that." One of the Shinra men said.

"Not really, if a war and loss of life can be avoided by killing the leader, we do it." Erik said.

The General nodded, seeing the point.

"Now you understand why the dress-up was necessary. They mistook Enak for you."

"I wonder why they did go for Enak, as the General was only about twenty feet behind." Another SOLDIER asked.

"Because they assumed Sephiroth would be heading the group. They assumed wrong." Master Suba said.

"Nice try, though." Ian said. And we all headed onward again.

They moved on until the sullen solid grey clouds steadily started to grow darker. Then Jeh-ri spotted Hazel, who had made her way far ahead into the fields, making her way back to report, together with the younger SOLDIER she had been assigned with, gesturing with her hands, pointing toward a spot a couple of hours march away.

"Report." the General said.

"Yes Sir." The SOLDIER answered. "There is a large flat rock about a quarter of a day's march from here. The surface is about forty feet off the desert bottom, and is too high to be jumped. It can only be climbed at one side by a very narrow path, forcing the other side to take a lot of risk trying to take the shelf." He said. As he explained, Hazel started to draw a bird's eye view of the situation in the dust.

"We will be left with no retreat, though. Having all accesses cut off if we are surrounded." He said. "All they have to do is wait for us to surrender of thirst." Shaking his head, not liking this idea very much.

Then the SOLDIER looked at Hazel who had completed her drawing.

"There is a pinnacle standing straight opposite the only way up, it is dotted with small caves, big enough for two or three people. It is a perfect spot to place archers to guard the way up, and giving cover for an eventual retreat. Also the rock surface in very uneven, and there are a lot of cracks and crevices inside, the whole rock is filled with small water pockets. It is a bit bitter tasting, but drinkable non the less." She said, standing up.

"What about ground cover?" he said, seeing the possibilities.

"On the desert floor, almost none. The surface of the shelf exists of several layers separated by cracks wide enough and deep enough to use as trenches." The SOLDIER said.

Master Tsuba was very pleased.

He looked at the General who nodded his approval.

"Well done, people, shows us the way." He said. The young woman had proved quite resourceful. Choosing this location, considering various possibilities of defence.

They where still young and inexperienced, but it was a good start.

Master Tsuba motioned for Jeh-ri to come forward.

"Do you want to go on, Sir?" Master Tsuba asked the General." We could reach this place just after down if we march during the night."

"I just wander if this is going to hold." The General said, pointing at the sky, frowning.

"Jeh-ri." Master Tsuba said.

He stuck his nose in the wind, feeling the currant was about to shift. It would break the clouds open soon. "The moon is almost full, it is going to be light out, tonight. The wind turn north and pick up enough speed to break the clouds." He said.

Master Tsuba nodded.

"The ground is rockier further in, so there is no more need to bounce around. I still want my troops to be able to have the strength to fight. It was useful while it was needed, though." The General said.

Master Tsuba inclined his head, accepting the compliment, and gave the order to start walking again.

"Jeh-ri, any sign of the Commander?" He asked.

He concentrated, frowning, and send out a pulse, counted.. ten, eleven, twelve.. then put his hands on the ground, sending a pulse there too, but sensed nothing. "He's far, just not on this ground. There is no one here for miles around."

"What? Explain." The General bore down on him.

"He never entered the practice fields, I would have been able to sense someone, but we are alone, sir."

"He could just be shielding his troops, Jeh-ri." Ian said.

"That he can do, but he can't shield the SOLDIERs. I would have been able to feel them."

Suddenly he realised something. "Is there water or a river running through the fields?"

"There is a river just on the western half of the grounds, it runs north east, then bends south." One of the Shinra men answered.

"He is in the river!" Master Tsuba, Enak, Erik and he said as one.

"That would put them right in our path. They are moving to intercept us before we can reach a place to fortify." Another one concluded, tensely.

"Quiet, SOLDIER, your making everyone nervous." The silver haired man snapped. "Lets pick up the pace people, move like we have a purpose." He said and they all pushed into a light canter.

Jeh-ri hung back a little, allowing himself to run just behind Enak and the General.

"It will be alright, we will make it in time." He said, still being able to talk through his accelerated breathing pattern.

"Are you a fortune teller or something?" The General asked, a slight sarcastic edge to his voice.

"Sometimes, but this is pure logic. He has sacrificed speed for stealth." He said. "He has to ride the river around before he comes toward us, then he still has quite a distance to travel on foot." I answered.

"And he will be wet and slow for the first couple of miles." Master Tsuba agreed.

About ten minutes later, the wind shifted and the clouds broke to reveal a pale silvery moon. In the distance the rocky shelf started to emerge, dark and looming on the horizon. We had made it in plenty of time. About two hours later, the first troops started to make their way up the narrow path, after four teams of archers had been instructed to take up positions on the pinnacle.

"He is on the ground now." He said, sensing his distinct pattern as he caressed the soil

"He is taking it easy." He said to the twins, who where standing beside me, and as the General was within earshot, they started to analyse our situation, so he would be kept up to date.

Enak began talking; "He is letting us know, he knows we where on to him, having chosen to press on-", "- instead of making camp for the night, and moving on at day break." Erik said.

"If we hadn't, he would have beaten us to it, leaving us out in the open and vulnerable." The General agreed.

He was pleased with how things had turned out. He watched as Erik was one of the last to head up, leaving only him, Enak, Jeh-ri, and Master Tsuba still below. The older man asked his leader if he was alright. He answered in a in a tone that told he wasn't happy it was asked. The old man nodded, and headed up.

Enak and the General moved off by them selves a bit, standing quite close. Jeh-ri's breath froze as he saw the taller man incline his head, as one hand moved up to touch Enak's face, and Enak dropped his head, after smiling briefly. Then the younger man stepped back, bowed shortly and bounded up the path.

"Why do you keep putting your hands on the ground, Graduate?" The General asked, frowning again, and the other wandered at his irritation.

"You ordered me to put boots on, sir." He answered, trying to sound as submissive as possible, not wanting to aggravate him.

"If you had informed me you needed to be bare footed to do your job, I would've made an exception for you." He said pointedly, as he squatted down to the other's level, as he was still on his knees, hands on the rocky surface.

"Remember that next time. I cannot lead to my full abilities if I am not aware of what my people are capable of. Is there anything else I need to know?" He said again with an edge to his voice that made the other's skin crawl.

"If this would have been a real combat situation, I would've objected, knowing our survival would be at stake." He said, sick of embarrassed yet again.

"Permission to speak freely, sir?" Him not making an answer to the contrary, he assumed he could. "I can sense in the earth how and where people are moving, but I can also tell when people are lying. You lied about being fine; I can see you have a splitting headache, and you haven't had a decent nights sleep in days." There, stick that in your pipe, and smoke it, you bad tempered brute!

He knew very well he would still be in plenty good shape to kick the living snot out of every one here, but he just wanted him to lighten up!

"I am very capable of seeking medical attention, Graduate. Don't presume to lecture me on how to take care of myself." He sneered.

"Then why don't you. Sir." He said softly. "You want to win this competition just as much as everyone here, Let me help you."

"What makes you so sure you can?" he said, still sneering, but the edge in his voice softening slightly.

"I can see what is causing it. At least you will get a decent sleep. Nathan won't attack until sun down."

He opened his mouth to ask how I was so sure, but the question never came. Just to be released of this maddening pain would be a blessing.

"What do you have in mind?" he said, finally caving in.

"Just sit down." He said, patting the ground, standing up. "I need to get at your neck, Sir." He said and he reached back with one hand pulling his hair away over one shoulder. He undid the straps of his upper armour taking the added weight of his tortured shoulders, relieving some of the tension.

He began to dig his thumbs in, starting at the base of his skull, then down along his spine, stopping just between his shoulder blades. Everything was as hard as quinces, it was like touching a rock. He could see the blooms of damage from the Mako injections, causing pressure on nerves. The tendons between his spine and his scapula's had become angry knots in self-defence.

He used his elbow to put pressure on those spots, pivoting his hand around, gently at first, then building enough pressure to force them to release, encouraging the blood to flow more freely, and continued for about ten more minutes, trying to cover as much as possible.

"Is this supposed to hurt? He asked.

"I wouldn't be doing it properly if it didn't." the copper haired man said. "I'm increasing he blood flow to the tensed areas, so it will heal itself. This should do for now." He said. Tying the shoulder guards back in place.

"We should head up." He said, getting on his feet and making for the narrow path, the General just behind him.

Continues in: Just as we hit the green


	2. Chapter 2

_Just as we hit the green, _

_I've never been so happy to be alive_

_Only seven miles behind _

_You could smell the child_

_The smell of the front lines survival_

_With my silver Buddha, and my silver bullet_

_I pull the pin _

_** Pulling on the pin, Kate Bush**_

Once up on the top of the rock he could see the sun rise over the eastern mountains, distorting the light, and making it hard to make things out. He did have a great view from up here, the General mused, his neck and shoulders now burning from the prodding and poking Shiatsu treatment. He could feel the blood pulsing, and the headache had now retreated to a low throb. A good sleep would cure that, no doubt.

As he scanned the surroundings, he could only see the rough layers of the rock, the hard smooth surface shining in the rising light.

As he and Graduate Seng had spent about twenty minutes alone below, the troops had managed to go to ground, disappearing form sight. He looked again at the young man, who was now pulling his boots off, and started to dig his toes around on the smooth rocky surface.

It was quite nice to be out of the office, away from all the additional tasks the Shinra Power Company managed to land on him. And it was quiet out here, so very quiet. He looked at the young man, who squatted down, and indicated with his head toward a higher reaching level, now casting shadows as the sun was rapidly gaining in strength. The caught a slight glimmer of eyes there, and saw the older Master Tsuba motion for him to come closer.

They had found places for them to lay down in, covered by the Yukata's they where wearing before, forming a very effective camouflage. He could see that the Unit members where all curled into pairs, preserving body heat.

"I have put them all to sleep. Sir. They will need the strength for the simulation tonight." Master Tsuba whispered. "I have set guards up on the Pinnacle and on the higher points of the rock. It would be good for you to get some rest too."

Sephiroth nodded, signalling his approval. It was nice to have a senior officer with him who realised what had to be done without endlessly having to ask. He allowed himself to sink to the ground between the silent sleeping forms of his men, listening to the wind that softly whistled between the rocks. Master Tsuba gave the younger man beside him an approving nod, the other accepting with a slight smile.

The General was aware of all the subtle communications going on all around him. These people seemed to read each other's minds, and where in total alignment with each other. He had to admire their cohesiveness as a unit, even though they all looked like they where just thrown together at random, not having any uniformity to them at all.

He was indeed very tired, and now having a lot of his discomfort eased away, soon gave in to his body's need for rest and his ghost's need for oblivion.

The next thing he knew was that someone had softly said his name, and he woke with a start, seeing Enak opposite him. Momentarily he felt confused, seeing someone who so closely resembled him it was almost like a mirror, with the exception of the skin and eye colour, that was. The sun had already passed its highest point, and was making its way down toward the west.

"Any news of the Commander?" he asked, getting to his feet, shaking off the last remnants of sleep. He hadn't if fact slept so deeply in days, now finally feeling rested and able to face the night, which would be long and tiring.

"Jeh-ri has been scanning for more than an hour, analysing the commanders movements. According to him, Nathan will start his assault at dusk.

"You agree with him?" Sephiroth asked his look- alike.

"Jehri was one of the most gifted earth readers I have ever seen, Sir." Enak answered, not liking the way the General questioned his friend's capability. "And begging your pardon, Sir, judging by the looks of you, he had something else right, too." He added, just trying to make a point.

What was it with these people. They seemed to be able to see things through all the carefully erected walls he had always had in place around strangers, or was he just becoming paranoid?

He decided to let Zach fish out more about these strange abilities of this Jeh-ri, and the others, once back on their own turf.

He looked around for the young man, who was sitting on the highest point of the rocky shelf, one of the others with him, and several of his own SOLDIERs at his side.

He was moved to stand just behind the three, enabling him to hear what they where talking about.

".. So how does it work? .."

" I can feel his feet, his hands, everything he puts on the ground, and that of the other ones of my people.

"So you can't feel our SOLDIERs?

"No, not really, but I can feel them moving. If they where to stand still, they would become invisible to me."

"Why did he jump in the river?"

"Because water is a different element., it acts like a barrier to my abilities, he knows this."

"So if you where in the water, you would be able to feel him then?'

"Only if I where in the same body of water though, if he where in a different river, of a lake or something, I wouldn't"

Interesting , very interesting, the General mused. Now he was getting a clearer picture of things.

"Could you find someone if they where dead? I had a brother once who got killed at Wutai, but we never found his body."

"No, my sense works through reading living energy. When you die, that goes back to the life stream, and you pass beyond my senses. There are some of us who can sense presences there."

"He is on the move, General, What are your orders?" The young man asked.

"Notify the archers, get everyone ready." He said to Master Tsuba who was already at his side.

Jeh-ri pulled the Yubi from the strap around his shoulder, and fastened the Tsuruwa tendon at its top after bending the wood with his knee. Then selected an arrow from his quiver, and fished around in the obi around his waist for a squealer, which he slid on the tip of the shaft. He pulled back on the string, and aimed upwards toward the pinnacle. Then released the arrow, the Tsuruwa sending it on its way with a resounding twang. As it climbed it gave off a high pitched squeal, alerting the troops positioned on the pinnacle.

The game was on as he could sense Nathan closing in, but you couldn't see him.

"Where is he?" The General asked, not being used to the subtlety of Nathan's approach.

"He rides the earth, General, he will break cover soon enough." The answer came in the shape of an arrow, that imbedded itself on the rock a few feet away from where we stood.

"Take cover!" Master Tsuba roared and they jumped down from the vantage point into the trench below. The arrows fired at them from the ground could easily be blocked, using their katanas, as they where forced to send them up in a wide arch, enabling them to see them coming from a large distance.

Their archers where quite adapt at keeping the men Nathan tried to send up the narrow path from getting anywhere, picking each one off quite easily. All arrows had been tipped with a tough rubber stamp, that would make a bright red mark on the clothing of that person that was hit. When they where marked, they had to lie down where they where hit, as you would be 'dead'. After several bodies where now blocking the path, and no way to get up without being picked off, Nathan redirected his energy. Firing arrows at the place most of us where concentrated. Enak and Erik nodded at each other, and stood up.

They each unsheathed two katanas, and started spinning the four blades around fast, forming a very effective shield. The Generals archers on the shelf took up position and returned fire, and the unabated rain of arrows wavered, and lessened. Suddenly a call of alarm reached Jeh-ri from the pinnacle as Nathan's troops had managed to scale the rock from behind and had taken out the archers positioned there.

"General, the pinnacle is disabled! The path upward is unprotected." He nodded, he had expected this. Troops where now rapidly climbing up to the surface of the rock, but being forced into a bottleneck didn't have a very large chance of getting anywhere. Jeh-ri could feel them sitting in the relative cover just below the flat of the shelf, waiting for something. Then he saw it. The rain of arrows stopped suddenly, They where getting ready to launch them selves onto the rock surface boosting them over the rock's edge. They came flying up the shelf from all directions, too fast for the archers to take them out. Landing into their opponent with a resounding crash, knocking them to the ground, and tagging them with their marker gloves, the same way as the arrows worked.

"Very inventive." The General said, and Jeh-ri heard the metallic rasp as he unsheathed his Masamune. Jeh-ri leapt back up to the higher ground, still wanting so spend his quiver, and managed to take down some of the advancing opponents. One soldier came flying at him katana raised high, but got hit square in the chest as he came at him. He landed lightly on his feet, then laid down with a grunt of disappointment.

Jeh-ri pulled out his katana and jumped to the aid of several of the trainees who had been pushed back against the rock, Siona at his side. They went into them, fighting side by side, drawing their attention, giving the younger people the chance to fight back. Not having the skills yet with their swords, they went about it using their feet, landing blows quite effectively. Their forced combined, they managed to isolate the group attacking them, encircling them in turn, and tagged them all, but not without having lost some of their own too.

Master Tsuba had witnessed the fray, and sent the twins to protect the younger people, pulling Enak away from the General, and motioned for Ian to take up position at Sephiroth's side.

Now the path was unguarded Nathan's troops threatened to overpower them, and went to join Erik, who was holding his own, but was feeling somewhat exposed with out his brother at his back. "

"Let's dance, Sensei." Jeh-ri said. And he grinned wildly at him.

Backs against each other, keeping within the circle of protection he drew the red head in as they where beset on by many opponents, but managing to keep then at bay. Then Zach came into view, fighting side by side with Nathan. This was just to weird for words, seeing his Commander paired off with someone else. Together they took down Siona and several of the other SOLDIERs.

"Let's get that one" Erik said, eyeing Zach, and attached him, roaring a horse battle cry. Jeh-ri followed in his wake, beating away anyone who would try to attack Erik from behind. Seeing that both camps had been severely depleted, and most where piled on the ground, cringing, hoping no one would step on them.

Now being able to watch as the senior and most experienced men where having it out. Jeh-ri distanced himself somewhat, and dragged the beaten combatants out of the way, creating more room. He watched as Enak took down Master Samune with the help of the pupils who jumped him from all sides, dragging him down, allowing Enak to tag him. Of course did the pupils want to take credit for besting their hand-to-hand teacher, and tagged him till he was covered with red stamps.

Master Tsuba had been taken down by Zach and Nathan, and he had fallen with his back against the wall of the rise. He had a good view from where he sat, and watched as Erik rained a series of blows to Zach so brutal he was forced to yield. Erik tagged him in the middle of his forehead after planting a noisy kiss on the same spot.

Now Nathan and Erik faced off, both brutal and unrelentingly beating away at each other, and suddenly Enak emerged again, coming to his brother's aid. Together they encircled their former commander, who drew himself up, and separated the two blades of his Souba.

Then the twins laid into him, attacking and parrying counterblows, but never coming within reach enough.

Then Nathan performed a blow, allowing the blades of his opponents glance off, resounding weirdly, causing a spasm in the sword arm of first Erik, than Enak, forcing them to drop their weapons. Then he dealt Erik such a blow with this shoulders, it caused him to fly for ten feet, then crashed into a rocky wall, where he laid quite still, beaten. Enak watched his brother go flying, then attached Nathan using his hands and feet, dancing out of reach of Nathan's blades, but got pinned against the same wall, and was tagged, slowly, deliberately.

Then suddenly Leisa launched herself at Jeh-ri, and he was so surprised he hadn't seen her coming as she fell on him, sword held high. He blocked and parried away, the two of them locked in a savage dance of steel upon steel, He lost sight of Nathan who now faced off against his ultimate adversary, who had been waiting patiently for his turn. Leisa was good, but not good enough as he ducked under her guard suddenly, tagging her in the lower abdomen.

Nathan rejoined his Souba, and faced off against Sephiroth, who emerged from the stack of defeated bodies surrounding the spot he had been standing on. He regretted not having had the chance to look at him in battle. Now they could all see.

"General, you and I are the only ones left." He said, "Care to dance?"

"Hm, when ever you're ready." He said quietly.

At that the two titans flew at each other, leaping high in the air, sparks flying as the Masamune and the Souba clashed into each other, they jumped and bounded around the rock, raining blow after blow, testing each others strength, appreciating it, than moving on to another level, seeking a way in.

Suddenly Sephiroth vaulted away form the rock, into the sun that was now rising again over the eastern mountains, blurring light and shadows, distorting every ones vision. Having guessed why he did this, Nathan followed him down, and continued on racing around the desert floor, unrestrained by the bodies scattered on the surface of the rock chasing each other around, bounding and leaping, but finally landing emerging on each side of the shelf again, and storming to meet again in the middle, blades crossed, unyielding holding in equal binding, breathing hard into each others faces, both on the verge of total exhaustion.

"Good fight, General." Nathan panted.

Sephiroth's youth gave him an edge however, as he slowly but surely pressed Nathan to the edge of the rock.

"Glad you approve, Commander. Yield?." As Jeh-ri saw Nathan soften, sure, for now you win.

Nathan knelt, and nodded. "I Yield, Sephiroth, you are a worthy adversary. I don't mind losing to you." Sephiroth withdrew his Masamune, and held out a hand to Nathan, helping him up. Nathan grabbing the chance, and drew him into a rough embrace. I watched the younger mans face finally break into a hesitant smile.

Everyone on the rock roared as Sephiroth emerged victorious this time, every one relieved and happy as the simulation was over, now everyone still left untagged was counted, it turned out that it was a completely even number, and even though Sephiroth had managed to force Nathan to surrender, the battle was still a bit undecided, he felt.

Now the tension and the fighting was over, They all headed out back to the Midgar buildings as one group, still talking and sharing battle stories, happy and relaxed. Nathan was bantering happily with Zach and Ian. Enak beside Sephiroth, their heads bowed slightly.

Jeh-ri could see their energies come together somehow, they seemed to have found common ground, and where talking with each other but not really using too many words. Hazel bounded out to meet her partner, and planted a big wet kiss on his mouth.

She began telling him that the Shinra troops had completely taken them by surprise. And they didn't have the room to use their swords properly. It would be better if they had had firearms to defend them selves in the confined spaces of the caves they where perched in. He agreed. We should integrate that into our way of fighting, become more modern. She nodded.

"Did you see Enak getting all nice and sociable with old Silver hairs, there?" Ian said, falling in pace with him and Hazel.

He did indeed. Enak had taken off the metal shoulder plates and had stowed them into his pack. He had also tied his hair back in a ponytail, but the colour was slowly getting darker and darker returning to the deep ebony colour he had during his time at the Project Ark academy, but he somehow maintained one white stripe just behind his ear.

Midgar was already back in sight, and they started to pick up the pace, wanting to rest and get clean.

Once inside they where beset up on by the novices and lower ranking cadets and other officers wanting to speak to the General about all that had transpired in his absence. Master Tsuba called all together who had put the armour on him and Enak returned the General's shoulder guards to him. Indicating he wanted to take the armour off that had been given him, Master Tsuba shook his head, and told him it was a gift, being honoured having fought beside him, partaking in his strength and presence.

Then they all bowed their heads to him, and he inclined his head, in acknowledgement of their respect. The look he gave them all, was one of genuine gratitude, with out the slightest hint of sarcasm or resentment. They watched the silver haired man being swept away, and caught a glimmer of regret as he briefly watched over his shoulder.

Nathan ordered them all into the showers, and they did gladly, after sending the girls off to another wing where there they could have some privacy. Having been in the same clothes for over four days, they stepped into the showers still wearing their armour, cleaning it off, and stripping layer by layer, and finally standing in the undershirt and sleek pants and feeling light and clean. Ian came over to stand beside Jeh-ri and wrapped an arm around his waist. He started to sing.

Lo there do I see my father

Lo there do I see my mother, my sisters and my brothers

Lo there do I see the line of my people, back to the beginning

Lo they call out to me

They bid me take place in the halls of my ancestors

Where the brave live, forever.

Then all the Althean people joined in, chanting it, soon they where all side by side, standing in the hot fog of the showers still running. Even the boys and young men of Shinra joined in after having caught on to the words of the chant. Then they where all saying it over and over again, made a circle, and another one inside that one when it became too big, and another one inside it. Sidestepping to the beat they all made to accompany their song, turning in slow circles again and again.

Jeh-ri spotted Zach, who had been called away, and gestured for him to join them. He had been given similar armour as the General and he looked awesome. It must have been an odd sight to behold, most of them naked, some still wearing parts of armour. Erik saw him and pulled him in, water streaming off his head through his thick eyebrows and beard, looking like wild man.

"You have to get it wet, then it will mould to your body like a second skin." He said, Zach still all wide eyed at the scene in the shower, all calling him in, 'get wet, get wet!' Erik grabbed him by the straps across his chest and held him under the hot water.

"Enak, Jeh-ri, get into your clothes, we need to initialise him still." Jeh-ri

quickly walked up to him as they held the lightly struggling Zach under the shower.

_Erik na kat sha me di at et keh nu ta ne fer iat e ka. _

-Erik, you are not going to use his ignorance for your personal amusement. He wont appreciate it!-

The tjer reh ka ut sha a ma sad shima ti yo tha

it wont be any use to him if he doesn't break it in, little one-

Yad ho te she ri ney ao gou uut –

- You just want some one to kick around, it has nothing to do with the armour.-

Tha ney na she lo! ki at ne tho te mey ya, Jeh-ri

Let me have some fun, Don't be such a spoilsport, Jehri-

Pai te ke kuh tah kata she Ian me pau ha. Teh ak kat ne she na Enak te ha uut.

Ian and i will take care of him. You go play with Enak if you have some energy to burn-

"Will you two stop that damn gibberish and tell me what is going on?" Zach yelled, getting sick of trying to get out from under the streaming water, but being pushed back by Erik every time he moved.

"Yeah, I suppose that is a better idea, Nathan will get mad again, wouldn't he?" Then he finally let go of Zach, who gratefully came out from under the downpour of hot water.

"Erik, would you put the kids to bed before you do go play?" He asked, after the big hairy redhead was shaking himself like a dog while drying himself off. He left with a huge smile on his face, then he ordered our people out of the showers before leaving.

"The Borronix hide is extremely tough, but becomes very pliable when made wet in hot water. If you move now, you will see what I mean." Zach moved his arms and legs, feeling that it indeed had become a lot more flexible.

Ian and I will do some exercises with you, and when the armour is dry again, it will fit you perfectly. Trust me." He said.

He took two mops and unscrewed the handles, so he could use that while he, Ian and himself did some kata exercises with him, then moved on to just a slow sparring session, making him switch from me to Ian, bending and twisting slow and easy in the armour which had become dry after about one hour.

"You managed to order that big hairy brute around quite well, he outranks you, doesn't he?" He said, rapping his mop handle, parrying Jeh-ri's movements.

"I know how to handle big babies, Zach, and he might outrank me with experience in battle, but I outrank him in age. He was just looking for a way to cause mischief,"

"By drowning me, or something? Zach asked.

"No, by beating the living crap out of someone close to the one who bested his commander."

Jeh-ri said. "I just have enough diplomatic sense to not let things get out of hand. He would have ruined it for all of us if I hadn't given him a suitable alternative." He explained.

"So now he is going after his brother?"

"It has been a long time coming. It is about time that boil got lanced." He said, as Ian approached, and stared to knead and poke the different layers of armour.

He nodded, satisfied. The hide was dry now, and so where they.

This is quite amazing! I had the same thing happen to my trousers when we where running in the river, the water just runs off you."

"The fabric is made to let water through, but repels it outward at the same time. If you have to live in your armour it isn't an advantage to smell like a horny Wapet bear when you're stalking or hiding." Ian said, "You can just jump in any water and clean yourself off."

This is dry now too, see?" Jeh-ri said pulling on one of the sleeves of his undershirt.

"I think I'll go check on the brats for a bit."

Zach wished us a good night, and walked off, going about his own business.

"Oh? I thought you where going to check on the twins?" Ian asked assuming the copper haired man meant the younger ones of our group.

"That is what I meant." He said poking him in the stomach. "I think I'd better go find the spare Nutria we brought too." Ian nodded gravely in agreement.

He gathered the drying parts of his armour up, and hung them in a room next to the showers where all the weapons and other combat gear was stowed.

Then pulled on the soft brown Yukata and Hakama he always wore at the temple. It felt good, comfortable.

The General had been locked in the Shinra boardroom for a couple of hours, then roped into some very unimportant paperwork which absolutely couldn't wait until the next day. Thank Gaia it wasn't much, and he was done in less then one hour. He encountered a wild and wide -eyed Zach in one of the corridors as he had been heading up to see him.

"What have you been doing, Zach? You look just like you have heard a dog speak or something." He said.

"Nathan's people where in the showers singing and doing some weird ritual or something, every one joined in, our men too! The whole place is buzzing with it! Haven't you heard, Seph?"

"No, Zach, Some of us have responsibilities and obligations to office work and stuff." He said sarcastically. Zach made a gesture with his hands, discarding the answer, ignoring the spite in his friend's voice.

"That big guy, the one with all the dreadlocks, he grabbed me and held me under the shower, till I was completely soaked through, then Ian and Jehri did some exercises me to break in this armour. It actually feels great now!" Zach said brimming with enthusiasm, bouncing around on the balls of his feet.

"I'm glad to see you are becoming so comfortable with them, Zach." The older man said, feeling tired, his headache had returned, and he was in no mood for so much energy. One of the senior officers came down the corridor, greeted them both and urged them to follow him, as something was going on in the great hall.

Oh, now what! Sephiroth longed for his bed and for silence, he just didn't want to cope with any more problems right now, but he allowed himself to be pulled along anyway. They followed the officer into the observation room which allowed them to overlook the trainings that where given there. The dome was dark, as all the lights where turned off, but something in the middle of the floor kept catching what little light still came in through the large windows. Something shiny was moving incredibly fast.

"I think I know what that is." Zach said. "Jeh-ri said something about checking on the twins."

Enak and Erik where having it out, now that every one had gone to sleep, and there would be no one to stop them. They both joined their Katanas to form a Souba, and where hacking into each other, pushing and shoving, to and fro, Erik bearing down upon Enak with all his brute strength, Enak easily parrying the blows, and counter attacking, jumping and cart wheeling around his slightly slower, bigger twin. Sephiroth spotted Jeh-ri sitting quite calmly with his back against the wall, not looking very impressed. Then the fight broke, and the shouting match began. As they where both talking in that bizarre language of theirs, Sephiroth lost interest.

"Let me know how it turns out, will you? I'm going to bed." He said to Zach, who wished him a good night. After the older man had left, he made his way down and quietly sat down beside Jeh-ri.

"What are you doing here, Zach?" He asked, as he sat down beside him. "This is a private matter."

"Your people are fighting in my academy, Jeh-ri. I am just as responsible for them as you are." Zach retorted, reminding him of his place.

"I'm sorry, Zach." He said quietly, "I know they haven't exactly chosen the most perfect moment for this, but after this event is over, they will go their separate ways again, and nothing will be solved."

"At least they have stopped trying to kill each other." Zach said, laughing softly.

He couldn't see that both Enak and Erik where both in fact bleeding badly from several slashes made across their bare chests and back. They had been trying to kill each other before, but the scent of each others blood had made them calm down. He didn't want Zach to get too worried about this situation, and chose to keep his mouth shut.

They continued to hurl accusations at each other, opening old wounds that never really had healed. Enak started in on him now, spitting like an angry cat, listing the things he had and hadn't done, how Enak had always been made responsible for all Erik's mischief.

Erik rebuked at him about him not being a child, and very capable of carrying responsibility for his actions. He accused Enak of running away, about being narrow minded and a lapdog to their father.

Jeh-ri stopped listening, knowing they wouldn't start fighting again and left the hall, Zach in his wake. "You okay?" he asked he shook his head in answer, not having been okay for a very long time.

"I'll speak to you in the morning, goodnight, Jeh-ri." He said, and walked off quietly, having taken his queue to leave matters be.

Then Enak's voice broke. They finally had reached the point in which all hurts had been said. Now they had to look, and face the injuries they both had caused each other. He glanced around to door, opening it just a little, Enak was on his knees, sobbing miserably, and Erik stood there, his head bowed in shame.

All these years of their father bearing down upon them both, trying to keep his family together after their mother and his wife had passed away, how he had tried to integrate them into the Project Ark family, as it was the only family life he knew. but failed time and time again. Only succeeding in alienating them both to him and each other. Finally, desperately surrendered raising the wayward young men to his cousin Nathan, who seemed to have a much better feel for them.

Erik sank down on his knees, and gathered his shaking twin into his arms, and held him tight. They sat there together, arms wrapped around each other sobbing quietly. Then he walked to the door, carrying Enak like he was no more than a child. Jeh-ri steered them both into the room they all shared, and dressed their wounds. He gave them both a vile of the Nutria, which healed the cuts and slashes in a few moments. Then they curled up together, their heads resting on the other's leg, in a perfect Yin yang symbol. Jeh-ri just watch them sleep for a while, for the first time in years feeling hope for them both.

Nathan entered the room, and saw how the twins where positioned. He sighed deeply.

"They where in the womb like that, you know." He said.

"They still have a long way to go, but it is a start." The copper haired man said quietly, as Nathan sat down beside him.

"Do you think it was a mistake for me to bring them?" Nathan asked.

"No. They have to come to terms with each other. They cannot keep running away, it wont solve anything. I wished we had more room for privacy. It isn't very handy for hem to sort things out when there are many eyes watching." He said, sifting around so he sat with his back toward the Commander who untied the obi around his waist, letting the Yukata fall in a puddle around his hips. He was very grateful to feel his large, rough hands knead the muscles around his neck and shoulders. After a while he started to feel sleepy, and kissed his big hairy knuckles as a thank you. Then he snuggled up beside Hazel, who briefly stirred, but then they where both asleep.

Continues in 'The Challenge'


	3. Chapter 3

_The first challenge._

_My knife, it's sharp and chrome_

_Come see inside my bones_

_All the feigns are on the block_

_I'm the new king, ill take the queen_

_Cause in there we're all anaemic_

_In here, anaemic is sweet so.._

_Go get your knife go get your knife_

_And come in.. lay down.. now kiss me.._

_**Knife party, Deftones**_

The next morning they all awoke, feeling ready for the next days of the competition, this time it was for the novices and the lowest ranking cadets to have a go at each other. All had assembled along the walls of the great dome Enak and Erik had faced off against each other the previous night, who now sat side by side, quietly gesturing with their hands.

Jeh-ri could tell they where sharing each other's thoughts, them being so close, needed not to speak. He sat between Ian and Leisa, listening to the instructions of both master Tsuba and the instructor of the Shinra academy. They would all fight each other with the blunted practice swords provided by Zach, after being given the same tagging gloves we had used in the simulation yesterday.

At first both groups looked at their superiors, each group standing on opposite sides of the hall, full of anticipation. Then Master Tsuba lifted one hand, and sharply moved it downward. A fraction of a second later our novices stormed at the cadets at the other side, who flew up to meet them halfway. Master Tsuba and the other officers stationed around the fighting groups had a hard time trying to keep an eye on everyone as they whirled around each other.

"Wow! It is like a mosh-pit with swords! Ian said, laughing loudly. "I never realized what a ferocious bunch those snot nosed brats of ours where! We should do this more often!" as he got to his feet to get a better view of the action. The seniors separated a few of the ones getting a bit too carried away, but soon the fight was decided. The Temple "kids" had won, as most of them where left untagged. Jeh-ri happy to see that almost half of the group where girls. They all got up and clapped enthusiastically.

Jeh-ri had to cast a glance at the General, who's face betrayed no emotion. The whole of the day that followed, their people faced off against the Shinra troops, all matched to strength and skill, so the sparring bouts where quite exiting to watch and to participate in.

Jehri watched as Hazel bested most in her category and bounced around with glee as she and Siona where the only ones left. Jeh-ri nudged his shoulder to Zach who shook his head in disbelief, but smiled approvingly. She walked up to Zach slowly, her hips swaying seductively till she was only a few feet away from him. Then she swung her katana around her head, challenging him to come for her. The whole dome started to whistle and yell, as Zach shrugged his shoulders and took up a sword. Hazel didn't last long against Zach as he was way out of her league, but she managed to block and retaliate nicely before he simply grabbed her sword arm and lifted her off the ground, placed one foot behind her leg, tripping her up and laid her neatly on the ground. Then he simply tagged her out. Hazel briefly fluttered her eyelashes at him and planted a noisy kiss on his cheek, as he pulled her back up.

Zach shrugged his shoulders and smiled as everyone roared with laughter.

Now it was up to the Graduates and the second class SOLDIERS to have a go at each other, and the sparring session shifted in its intensity and level.

Jeh-ri had fun fighting several opponents. Then he got to look as Ian and Leisa who did well, but got tagged out by Zach, and one of the other more advanced officers. Erik and Enak took care of those remaining, and then decided to sit out as Jeh-ri noticed that Zach and he where the only ones left.

As they been assigned to different categories Jeh-ri bowed lightly to him, inviting him to ignore this fact, somehow feeling it was up to him to keep some of the honour of his unit up. Zach looked over to the General who stood side by side with the Commander, they briefly looked at each other, then nodded.

Every one was watching them, but Jeh-ri only had eyes for his opponent. They started off slowly, getting a feel for each other, then sped up, just as Nathan and Sephiroth had done the night before. Each attacking in turn, their swords ringing, as Jeh-ri's soul sang to the beat, turning, using his legs to force an opening, but Zach managed to duck under or away, then he advanced on the copper haired man using his greater build as an advantage. He was going for his bare feet just as the General said his men would, trying to slice at them with his sword, but in that he dropped his guard in some of his movements.

Being briefly distracted by a feigned attack at his side, which he parried, as Jeh-ri spun and jumped, finally ramming his heel against his jaw. Zach reeled briefly, shaking his head to clear it. The smaller man tapped the tip of his blade against the floor, goading him into charge, folding away under his stroke and swung at his exposed back, but he brought his sword around to catch the stroke.

Then they stood face to face again, and charged at each other, but stopped dead within inches of each other, as their swords crossed into equal binding, face to face. In a sudden rush of mischief, Jeh-ri quickly ran his tongue across his face causing a storm of cheers and whistles form the people around them.

Jeh-ri looked at the dull practice sword they where using, and shook his head.

"What weapon do you usually use, Zach?" He asked, not really liking having to fight with fake weapons as we both where in a more advanced group.

"Why, do you want to up the stakes a bit?" he asked, as he stopped and looked at him.

"Sure." The smaller man said, as Zach smiled and moved off to the side where he pulled his Buster Sword out, and walked back to the middle of the floor. There was a gasp from the crowd on both sides as he swung the almost man high blade around.

"Ok this is going to hurt." He said to himself.

"Jehr, catch!" He heard from the side, as Enak had gotten up, and threw his Souba at him.

"This should even things out a bit."

It was quite a bit heavier than his own Katana, but after swinging it around his head to get a better feel for the weight, the sim made adjustments to the muscles in his arm and shoulder, making it easier to wield.

Zach came down on him like a ton of bricks, as he seemed to swing the huge sword like it had virtually no weight.

It is a good thing Enak lend him his double Katana, as it made him more defensible, even managing to force his opponent to defend a couple of times too as Jeh-ri was smaller and faster on his feet.

But after a while he cottoned on to the way he avoided his attacks and anticipated where he would land next.

He managed to trip him up, bringing his sword down on him, and all he could do was to use his block the final stroke, letting the tip rest against the floor, and reaching in the same movement for the short dagger in the small sheath at his thigh. He pinned the smaller man's chest to the ground with his knees and bore down on him with all his weight, slowly forcing the edge of his sword toward his throat. He couldn't move anymore.

"Yield? He asked, panting heavily into Jeh-ri's face.

"Zach, look." He said, gesturing with his head to look under his arm. In forcing him to the floor, he had exposed his armpit, and Jeh-ri now held the butt end of his blade just a couple of inches down below where his arm joined his chest.

"You would have joined me in the life stream, Zach." He breathed into his ear. A slow tingle in his lower abdomen told him that something.. inappropriate was developing inside him, as Zach's energy bore down upon him just as his sword was. Their gazes locked just as their swords where, and in that fraction of a moment a connection was made as Jeh-ri slid inside just as the man ontop reached out to him. Let go, the whole academy is watching! The voice of reason came, just in time to stop things getting beyond the point of decency.

He got up, lifting his sword off him, and held it tip down, indicating his surrender.

"Stalemate." Zach breathed

"Stalemate." Jeh-ri agreed.

He heard some loud cries of amazement and surprise go though the crowd, and as Zach lifted his arms, they could now see his predicament. His people applauded loudly. Then the SOLDIERs reluctantly, joined in too. Zach got off him and offered his opponent his hand, and pulled Jeh-ri up into a huge bear-hug, lifting him off the ground.

Then they where surrounded by the other combatants. Clapping him on the shoulders. Erik came up to him and pinched his cheeks painfully.

"Didn't he do well, our little Jeh-ri!" he said loudly. And knowing what he was going to do now, he grabbed two hands full of his dreadlocks, and pulled his head down, then planted a loud kiss on his mouth.

"You have been holding out on us, Jeh-ri." Zach started, laying an arm around his shoulders, and leaned heavily on him.

"When you lack strength, you have to use your smarts to make up for it" He said, still breathing heavily, part from exhaustion, part out of excitement.

"So what you are saying, is that I am stronger than you, and you are smarter than me?"

Zack said, rubbing his chin, his face theatrically thoughtful.

"I have always thought you where somewhat of a knucklehead, Zach." The voice of the General came from behind them.

"Oh, by the Creator, the General made a funny!" Ian yelled. More laughter all around as he saw Nathan shoot a startled look at Sephiroth who just lifted one eyebrow, the rest of his face still quite cold.

"Leisa, you know what I would really like right now?" Ian said loud enough so a lot of our people would hear.

Jeh-ri had already guessed, as all the simulations where over, and we would be leaving the next day.

"You want to have a jam session, don't you?" Erik said.

Several of the Unit members and others of our group started to get into the idea.

Erik watched as Nathan lent in towards the General and briefly explained what we had in mind.

Jeh-ri could tell he didn't really agree, as he obviously had no idea at what was about to happen.

"In a way it is a lot like what we have been doing these last few days, General, just there are no weapons involved and it is a lot of fun." He went on to illustrate that this was the way we always said farewell to comrades, and that it would be a happy way to close off the competition. Judging by the look on his face he hadn't really warmed to the idea, but Zach certainly had.

"We could use the practice fields between the barracks" he suggested. At that the older man nodded, at least they wouldn't make a mess inside. Zach turned to me and said; "Well, you have a green light, I can't wait to see this." His curiosity had been spiked after watching our ritual of Cleansing in the showers the previous evening. Every one filed out, heading for food and showers, leaving only Jeh-ri, Zach, Nathan and the General.

"That was impressive, adapting, changing weapons, challenging someone who is above your level.. I would enjoy seeing you try something like that on me, Graduate." The General's voice suddenly managed to penetrate the noise in his head, as he was totally taken aback by the question.

"I had to give everything I had just to get the better of Zach, Sir." He said, meaning every word. "Are you serious, about wanting to spar me?" He asked, still hoping he wasn't serious, but knowing that he was as he pulled out his Masamune, resting the dull side of it on his shoulder, then slowly brought the edge toward his face. He shied away from than great silvery blade, not having the stamina anymore to fight. "Do I seem like the kind of man that would make jokes, Graduate?" He asked coldly.

He knelt down, mustering all his bravery just to look him in the face.

"Please Sir, if you want me to offer you some kind of challenge, some time later? Then the blade was gone and for a moment he was certain he had sliced his ear clean off.

"Hm" He breathed near his ear, so only hear could hear, giving him goose bumps. "Later then, when you are rested, I can't wait to see what other tricks you have up your sleeve."

Then he turned and left, leaving him feeling like he was about to have a heart attack. Was he in fact angry for suggesting the Jam session, taking it out on him for upsetting the rigidity of his world? He had no idea, but as things turned out, time would tell.

Ian ran up to him like a flash. "What did he want, Jehr? It looked like he was about to cut you clean in half!" he said grabbing his shoulders, shaking them.

"He.. wanted me to spar him, Ian.." He said slowly barely able to force the words out.

"What? You are no way near his level, Jeh-ri." Leisa said, having joined the conversation.

"He could seriously hurt you."

"What are you talking about, Leisa? Did you see how he fought Zach? He has managed to surpass me, now. I agree he would never win, but he could manage to get close enough to give old silver-hairs a shave!"

"Leisa is right, he would just be toying with me…Ian , that's it!" He said, and ran off to Nathan, grabbed his hand, forcing him to come with him, and followed him into the room they slept in.

"I sort of told you about the presence inside him, how it didn't feel like possession, but how it was deeper, like it had been with him all along, even before he was born?"

Nathan nodded, indicating he knew what he was talking about.

"Ian just gave me an idea. I could try to get a couple of strands of his hair, get his DNA!"

Nathan's eyes grew wide.

"How where you planning on going about that?" he said, frowning.

"He wants to spar with me, Nate." He said, his mind reeling at the storm of nervous energy, which already was building within.

"I'll consider it." He said in a way as to tell him he now considered the matter closed.

Continues in 'Seperation'

a/n aawww no yaoi in this chapter my laddies! If you are dissapointed, just hang in there, i have been working on some big ones in future chapters and i keep deleting and adding bits and pieces to deepen the relation between Seph and Zach. I just love the tention those two can build up, as my Zach takes little to no shit from mister grumpy.

preview Seperation:

Jeh-ri gets roped into cleaning up the General's office after he has taken his masamune to his filing cabinets. Sephiroth makes another subtle move on Enak, signalling his interest in the instructor.

"_If you think I am unworthy of your trust, then why do you have me go through your entire filing system?" The smaller redhead asked. There was a slight edge in his voice now. He was getting angry. Good._

"_That wasn't my idea, it was something the President and your Commander concocted together." He said, sounding more sarcastic then he had meant to. It wasn't after all the Graduate's fault that he got roped into this assignment. He was still extremely aggravated at the reprimand he had received from that fat prick who was still in charge of him, and he needed someone to take it out on. This touchy feely young man served the purpose just fine. _


	4. Chapter 4

_Part three; Separation _

_You make the water warm_

_You taste foreign_

_And I know you can see_

_The cord break away_

_Cause tonight I feel like more_

_Tonight I feel like more_

_Feel like more_

_Tonight…_

_**Digital Bath, Deftones**_

The novices and pupils had been invited to invade the barracks of the cadets, and where having the time of their lives jumping from bunk to bunk, with their new play mates. Some mock fights broke out, but where quickly extinguished by Enak who kept a close eye on them all.

At one stage grabbing one or two by the scruff of the neck, lifting them clean off their feet, and then sending them to their own room. They did so sulking, apparently having had just a little too much fun. Enak saw what the plan was and frowned slightly with disapproval. Maybe what they where in the mood for, was a bit inappropriate, and he told Jeh-ri so, but he just answered with a decided "Sod them all!"

Erik and Ian entered the grounds, pushing a very large wooden trunk on wheels. Out they pulled several different sized drums, rattles made form Borronix horns, and long wooden pipes. Erik selected one, put the soft waxy collar around the mouthpiece to his lips, and blew a massive tone, low and guttural. Immediately every one emerged from the barracks , eager to see what had produced this sound. Erik grinned widely, he would become unstoppable with such a captivating audience.

While he blew he chose another pipe, quickly blowing another blast, and liking it, threw that at his twin, his pipe being a perfect fifth to Erik's, and started into a deep slow rhythm, growling and breathing into each other. They lifted the pipes into the air, circling around outward, back to back as they had done to quiet the young ones a couple of nights ago.

Now Siona, Hazel, and Leisa where straddling their drums, and started beating a rhythm to accompany and accentuate the pulse of the twins. Others raised their voices in an easy chant, so every one there could pick up on it. The older Shinra officers pulled out large empty barrels and started fires inside them, and soon the training grounds where dotted by warm pools of light.

They had caught on the earthy, elemental feel we were producing, and seemed to relax a bit but always keeping a close eye on their troops. Zack had joined some of our unit members, wrapping his arms around their waist as he had seen us do before, falling in time with the beat they made in the steps on the ground. He seemed to enjoy him self immensely.

After the dance had finished, he walked over to Jeh-ri, and handed him a bottle of beer, as the more older ones had been allowed some alcohol, but not too much.

"How did you manage to swing this?" Zach asked, and he could feel how surprised he was, this being in such stark contrast to the usual way thing went around here.

"We just suggested it. It was Nathan who did the convincing. The General has his strengths, and so does the Commander." Knowing what it was that Nathan had done, he had managed to slip an impression into the General's mind, telling it would be just fine.

"Why isn't he here, I think it would make him see that it is alright, to relax a little. He cant be a stiff all the time."

Zach just stood beside him, with his arms crossed, his eyes distant. Jeh-ri followed his gaze and saw him looking at a smallish blond boy, who was standing close to one of the groups of young people talking, but seemed reluctant to join them. Then he and Zach caught sight of each other, and the older man motioned for him to come over.

"Say hello to my little friend, Cloud Strife." He said, wrapping his arm around the smaller young man's neck.

"Hello Cloud, I'm Jeh-ri" he introduced himself, holding out a hand to the boy who took it hesitantly, then broke into a warm smile. As their hands touched, he got a pulse. His mind got zapped forward, seeing a few images too fast and fleeting to get a good hold of, but this one was different from the others here. He just didn't belong somehow, no matter how badly he wanted to.

"You enjoying your self?" The redhead asked.

"It is nice, every one being so friendly with each other." He said.

"Where you in the simulations?' The older man asked, not being able to remember him.

"I was, but I got tagged out after about two rounds." He said a little embarrassed.

"I noticed something in the way your younger people move, Zach." Jeh-ri said, having noticed something Leisa and Ian had pointed out to him. "They lack rhythm."

"We do Kata exercises using drums, it is really helpful with people who have trouble making the movements come naturally."

Zach looked at several of the P.A.A.people, who where now performing a different kind of dance, the movements they made consisted of short, sharp swings and jabs, punching fists, striking at their chests, then making downward pulling motions stomping the beat the drums made with one foot. It had a lot of similarities to the Kata movements but al together a lot more violent in intent and energy.

"What was that?" Cloud asked, his blue eyes large.

"That is a war dance taught to us by the Sea people tribe." Jeh-ri explained. You get a whole group of them as your enemy, and them performing that before battle, just want to pack your things and forget about it."

Zach nodded. "I'd think twice about fighting them too, I think."

Jeh-ri felt a chill run down his spine ever so briefly, a fit of joy as the music they where making struck a chord into his ghost, and he wanted to dance.. he ran over to Hazel and took her hand, easily pulling her into him, twisting and turning around her, making her move with him, Her fingers on his forehead, making him bend and move to her will in turn. Leisa and Ian join in too as some of the Shinra men had taken over their drums, and where easily keeping the flow up.

All the night they spend dancing and playing with each other, both groups happily mingling and sharing.

It was one of the strangest things he had ever seen.. He knew he had agreed to this, and he shouldn't be grumpy about it. He stood at the window of the Shinra boardroom, Commander Nathan at his side and looked down on the crowd below on the exercise ground. Nathan stood there smiling broadly. He could clearly sense the energy form down below, coursing up. But then President Shinra walked in, and the meeting began.

Nathan briefly leant over to the silver haired man and just as they where taking place.

"Wouldn't you rather be down there, General?" The commander asked, just loud enough to be heard only by the man sitting next to him.

"You and I are the same, cut the same but from slightly different materials. We don't belong here with these people and their mind numbing industrial politics."

In that Sephiroth totally agreed. He never would have dreamed that entering into the academy and reaching the rank of General would result in being forced into doing infuriating tasks like paperwork and keeping personnel files.

He actually enjoyed spending time with the older man. He seemed to touch certain areas he had never previously had given thought to. This man loved and lived for the hunt, having chosen the life of a soldier of his own free will and gathering a clan around him that shared his blood and his purpose. Ever since Nathan's visit that first night, he somehow was able to feel the collective mind, how they seemed to effortlessly cue into each other's movements, anticipating where they would be needed most. Him drawing on their various talents, putting them to use to serve the good of all. The trust that rested in the bond they shared had to be immense and consuming.

He mused at his own situation, and saw the stark contrast to his life. How he had been moulded into the man he was today, the decisions made by his father, who kept pursuing his own hidden agenda despite the Shinra's board of directors illusion that they had that sick little man on a leash. They seemed not to really care as long as he kept delivering the goods, and Sephiroth being his greatest achievement. Here to serve the interest of the Shinra Power Company.

President Shinra had entered the large room now, a rather short fat man in an expensive suit, a man named Tseng and some other cronies in his wake. He had wanted them there that evening was to discuss a matter of interest to them both, him wanting to leave a very small detachment of officers here at the Shinra Academy, to adapt certain areas in training of new cadets. Him and Nathan having had an interesting discussion about the difference in development skills between them and the novices had laid the foundation for this suggestion.

At first Nathan had seemed reluctant, not wanting to leave several of his best reconnaissance officers behind, but finally caving in at the offer of giving them a better firearms training they had received at the Project Ark Academy, which was after all largely a scientific organisation, only having received basic combat training to make them more defensible.

It seemed like a fair trade, but he had to make sure that sudden needs of his people where being met, realising that being locked up in a city complex with little to no natural elements present, they would soon start to suffer from something like cabin fever, but President Shinra assured that they would be allowed to enter the practice fields surrounding Midgar when on leave. After those details of the transfer where completed, the Commander left to join his people, being aware that certain parts of the meeting where to be discussed between the suits across the table and their ferocious pet.

He realised all to well that this situation was temporary. As long as the status quo remained in place, this Sephiroth would do as he was told, but how long would it take for him to realize his full potential, things would take a dramatic turn for the worst. One thing he knew for sure is that he would not, could not do anything to prevent that eventual meltdown. Al he could do was to stay the hell out of his way. He thought it to be poetic justice. It would teach them to fuck with Mother Nature.

He gratefully left the presence of those bureaucratic numbskulls, wondering how important all that paperwork would be when their world was burning and reduced to rubble. He made his way down to where his people and the Shinra troops where having a great time together. He revelled in this energy, it pulsed through him as he positioned himself between the twins, his arms resting around their shoulders, letting the vibrations of the pipes reverberate through him, thrumming the strings of his entire being. Then he joined in one of the chants of the ancestors, as it was as old as his family line, and as deeply imbedded in his existence as his coarse reddish blonde hair and fierce blue eyes.

Jeh-ri walked up to his Commander, and laid his hand against his chest, just under his arm, and so could feel what he felt, the vibrations amplified and retuned to match his unique energy pattern. It filled him with joy, to be able to partake in this strength, to be part of him again. Then a sudden shudder went through the crowd as General Sephiroth had managed to tear himself loose from the ones holding his leash. Nathan looked over his shoulder, and called him to come closer. Not wanting to show any kind of timidity, the younger man approached.

Nathan moved over, and motioned for him to put his hands on the shoulders of the two men, to feel.

As he did, a very noticeable shudder went through the twins, and their rhythm faltered, but only briefly, then it changed somewhat. It seemed to shift, to accommodate the Generals energy. Then he stood there, his head low, eyes closed. He seemed to enjoy the raw guttural roar the twins where now producing.

Jeh-ri stood there watching, quite amazed. He had been allowed to enter that so very intimate energy field that the two brothers where able to produce.

About three years ago, the three of them had spend the night sleeping in the forests surrounding the citadel once, after a bomb threat had forced them to evacuate. Jeh-rica carrying a second set of Nathan's twins at the time had spend the night wedged between their bodies, them feeling extremely protective of her. It had been like being wrapped in a very safe warm cocoon, and she knew nothing would ever touch her as long as they where near. She remembered how Enak had slid his hand under the thick coat she was wearing, feeling the tiny lives inside her, bumping and moving to meet his touch. He had smiled then, one of the rare sincere ones she had seen of him.

He watched as one of the Generals hands shifted ever so slightly, the fingertips of the black gloves he always wore, slide along the collar of Enak's Yukata, trailing ever so slowly up the younger man's neck. Enak tilted his head into that touch, accepting it. This was certainly an interesting development. Then he let them go, and moved off to Zack and he where standing.

"You enjoy that, Seph? Zach asked, the older man just leant back against the wall, his face a mystery, but Zach saw a very distinct glint in his friends eye that spoke volumes.

"He's a good man, that Nathan, isn't he?" Zach asked. Sephiroth nodded in agreement.

Indeed he was. He seemed to let him have just a little taste of what it was like, to be in his circle, part of the collective. But his entire being had rebuked, fighting the pulling pulsing feeling in the middle of his chest, finding the heat too much to bear, to restraining, it meant having so many so close, the fear of losing ones self, having so many depend on you. It was totally impossible and his mind revolted at even the slightest touch, cringing and becoming violent just at the thought. I know you mean well, Nathan, but this is not for me.

"He has got kids, doesn't he?" Zach asked.

"He has three boys and one girl." Jeh-ri answered.

"What is he like, as a father? Sephiroth asked, and he was quite surprised at the question, not being aware that he was interested in that sort of thing.

"Very warm, very tender." The shorter man mused, having seen the tears run down his face as he delivered them. "You look at him, like that, you'd think he was a loudmouth and a big hairy brute, but as soon as he starts to speak, as he looks into your eyes, you feel at home."

Suddenly realized something, he reached into the opening at the side of his Hakama, and pulled out a wallet.

After briefly rummaging through small bits of paper he had in there, he found what he was looking for. He pulled out a small black and white picture of Nathan, cradling two tiny babies against his naked chest, their little fuzzy heads tucked under his chin, his eyes closed as a soft smile played about his slightly parted lips. I gave it to the General who looked at it, slightly frowning.

"These are his, I take it?" he asked.

"No. His kids are three and one year old. The ones you see there are here, tonight." he pointed at one of the babies, the one with a large tuft of black downy hair on its head, and pointed.

"That is Enak, and that is Erik. Then pointed at the brothers, who now had Ian stand between them.

Zach snatched the picture out of the General's hand and looked at it sucked in his breath

through his wide open mouth.

"AAAAhh How cuuuute!!" he cooed, together with Cloud, who also looked at the photo, giggling at first, but then looking back and forth, his face pensive.

"Everything is cute when it's little, even them." Jeh-ri said, gesturing with his head toward the two who where now trying to crush Ian between their backs.

"He is their father?" Zach asked, being confused as the information contained in their personal files contradicted that assumption.

"He is their godfather. The Admiral and him are related, but from different branches of family."

"Aaaahhh, the plot thickens!" Zach said.

Jeh-ri took the photo back from Zach and tucked it away, feeling he had revealed enough.

Several people where disappearing into their barracks, tired and quite spent. Jeh-ri looked a Hazel who had managed to perch herself on Nathan's lap and was blushing wildly. The sun started to cast its first rays over the mountains in the distance. They all packed up and headed off to bed for just a couple of hours. Sometime at the end of the morning we where bound to head back to the Astronef and then home.

He was glad to be away from here, from this cage of steel and concrete. To be in the silence of the temple again, the feel the fog on his face, hear the birds sing as the sun rose. The constant roar of the waterfalls not too far off. Just as he drifted off to sleep, the image of the General standing between the twins jolted him awake again. He still wanted to spar with him, and was just glad he didn't drink the beer Zach had offered him. It would be an absolute disgrace to my order if he hadn't able to face up to a challenge because of a hangover. He decided it was more important to just rest for a bit.

When they where all told to get up, Nathan briefly gesture to Ian, Leisa and Erik and Enak to stay behind, saying that they would remain here for several months, adding their experience to the combat instructors here, and that they would receive additional fire arms training. At first they seemed a bit apprehensive, but then the boys soon warmed to the idea, that they would get to shoot things. Leisa rolled her eyes, shaking her head. At least she would remain to keep a check on them.

They all entered the canteen, and ate a simple breakfast. That was another thing that wouldn't be missed either. Not that the food at the temple was that more spectacular, but it tasted like something that had been grown in the earth, alive and wholesome, instead of produced by machinery.

Zach came bounding into the room, and took place between Erik and Jeh-ri, looking very wild about the eyes.

"What is the matter with you?" Ian asked, as he saw Zach's hair standing out in all directions, and he still carried the vague smell of alcohol about him.

"Our beloved president has sprung a surprise on the General, he wasn't happy."

"He took it out on you, then?" Leisa asked.

"No, thank goodness he didn't. He just took it out on every one he could find, then viciously re-filed everything in his cabinets." His eyes still wide and startled.

"What is so bad about that.? Jeh-ri asked.

"He used his Masamune to do it!" he said. Now they could understand the look on his face, the imagine of him rampaging through his office with that seven foot sword of his.

"There are papers everywhere.." Zach said resting his head in his hands, shaking his head in despair.

"What? Really?" Ian asked now filled with curiosity "What did they do to make Mister Icicle loose it?"

"They told him they where giving him a new computer."

Ian stared at him with a look of total disbelief.

"What? Those assholes! How dare they!" he yelled, in mock anger "Remember the last time they did that to Nate? He destroyed half the citadel!" he continued, his voice lilting in theatrical disgust. Al of them where roaring with laughter now. Jeh-ri looked at Zach who still looked helpless, but smiled non the less.

"What's the big deal?" He asked, wiping the tears from his face.

"Seph really dislikes paperwork, I mean he just hates it!" Zach explained.

"Well, he hasn't improved the situation, now has he?" Ian observed dryly.

"Its just that the software is so different, it looks nothing like what we have been using for years. It means that we have to change every file stored, digitalize it and stuff. It is going to take months to update everything." Zach sighed getting a bit annoyed at their lack of understanding.

"What system is it?" Leisa asked, trying to get a clearer picture of what had caused this man who always seemed so in control to take a sword to defenceless filing cabinets.

"Ehh Trenn Omega.. something."

"Huh? I thought that was what Jacco was working on? So he had finally finished it." Ian said.

"He finished it at least two years ago, Ian." Leisa said a bit annoyed at the lack of interest Ian had shown for his best friends program, which he had stuck so much time in writing when they where all till at the Project Ark Academy.

"It has been up and running at the Althea Citadel for about a year and a half. I helped install it there and also to support the data base at Josea's clinic." Jeh-ri said.

He saw Ian's mind search his memories. "Oh that's why you disappeared into the citadel for all those months!" Ian said, faking that he actually remembered why he was there, being in fact pregnant with Nathan's second set of twins, and hoped desperately that he wouldn't give that fact away. Jeh-rica had just been helping Jacco out at the time as she had to take things easy and enjoyed his company.

"Wait a minute, you where-" at that point Leisa poked him hard in his ribs and said;

"sa te et, Iate !

-shut up, stupid-

But Zach had no interest in what was going on between Ian and Leisa and just looked at me.

"You know how to work the program?" Zach asked, suddenly his eyes filled with hope.

"I helped install it in the citadel and I helped write some parts of it, so it is capable of making the stored data more applicable to different situations."

Zach took off like a rocket.

"Looks like your about to be shanghai-ed into service , Jehr." Ian said.

"I'm sure they have people here that can handle things a lot better than me, Ian." He said, not really caring. "It isn't my problem that he had decided to behave like an ill tempered brute."

Moments later Nathan appeared into to canteen, and gestured for Jeh-ri to come forward.

His mood fell, as he was going home today, and the last thing he was interested in was spending days in an office.

Ian watched him go, smiling wickedly.

He came to Nathan's side, who put his hand on his shoulder, and lead on to a corridor he hadn't been to before, to a hall with elevators all with encrypted access panels.

Zach stood there, hopping from one foot to the other, and quickly entered a code, jabbing at the keys. On door opened and the three of them got in. They moved up quickly to the highest levels of Midgar, and where led through another few corridors, until they entered a wide hall, where they passed several office doors with nameplates, all open as people where buzzing in and out of rooms, giving them curious looks. Apparently, the news of the Generals outburst of random violence had spread far and wide through the floor.

Then they stopped by a door, which had been torn off its hinges and just stood against the wall. Jeh-ri carefully ventured in, as the overhead lights had been damaged too and flickered on and off, adding to the already nervous energy of every one around. When the light did briefly work, he could get a brief glance of the carnage inside. There where long gashes that his Masamune had made on the metal doors of the filing cabinets, a couple having been torn completely away leaving the endless stacks of folders unprotected, and Zach hadn't exaggerated one bit, in fact he had downplayed the destruction that had taken place.

"Where is-" he started to ask where the one had stalked off to, who had been the cause of all this, but a sudden tingle struck him that started at the crown of his head and then worked its cold fingers down his spine. It was like having ice dropped into the collar of his Yukata, as Ian frequently did when the snow had arrived again on the temple grounds.

"What is the matter?" Zach asked, as he saw the shorter man grow feint.

"I think president Shinra is putting Sephiroth over his knee, Zach. I'd better steer clear of him for a while. His mood isn't likely to improve very fast." he recommended.

"Oh. I see."

"So why am I here anyway, Zach? The redhead asked.

Suddenly one of the suits appeared out of one the adjoined offices. Nathan recognised him as one a side branch organisation of Shinra called Turks, his name was Tseng.

"President Shinra has asked your commander if you would be so kind to install Trenn Omega, and help digitalise the files, Graduate Seng." Tseng said. "And he said you would be happy to."

"Nah bu te at ne whe ut nao oit ta whe fon nik, Nate"

-Did you now, that is very presumptuous of you, Nate.-

whi te at she ne it ki at sho, Jeh-ri?

-Would you do it as a personal favour to me, Jehri?-

the et nu sha mut ne ke shet it na faia eth. The sah na ket te maia de re hum?

- It is not my problem that he has a bad temper. I don't find him exactly pleasurable company, and now you want me to spend weeks on end here with him breathing down my neck?-

"May I remind you that it is extremely rude to speak in code in front of your hosts, Commander?" The man in the suit said, trying to sound authoritive.

"May I remind you that I am not under your command, and that I will speak to my men any way I see fit, Mister Tseng." Nathan spat at him through his teeth. "And further more, it is also considered extremely rude to listen in on private conversations." he added, with such a chill in his voice, it made the suit cringe and retreat to the entrance of his office, out of earshot.

Jeh-ri had trouble repressing a shiver himself.

Nu et ke tsha kat ne up ta ith ne Leisa, Ian, Erik, and Enak., Nu et sha kuh et ?

-you won't be alone, Leisa, Ian, Erik, and Enak are here too. That isn't too bad is it?-

"Let Hazel stay too, and I'll help that overgrown child of yours, Tseng." he said, loud enough so he would be able to hear. Feeling strong with Nathan in his corner. "Leisa can't sustain all of us for so long, Nate." He whispered. "It is all about balance, you taught me that."

"The deal was that only one woman was allowed to stay. I had to talk long and fast to let them agree to let Leisa stay, leave alone another woman, Jehri. I will leave extra Nutria with you, so you wont need to impose on your friends. Consider Erik or Enak instead." I nodded. .

"Ill make it up to you." He said.

He made a decision then, it had been long coming, but now seemed the time to put things in motion, feeling very sad as he made himself say the words, knowing he would be losing someone very dear to him.

"Hazel wants to be trained as reconnaissance scout, Nate. Let her enter the program at Project Ark, and we'll call it even." He said.

Nathan smiled. "You should be in politics, Jeh-ri." He said.

"Nah, I'm no good at selling lies for a living, Nate." he replied, looking over my shoulder at Tseng who now again had gathered enough courage to venture out of his office.

"That would be an ironic change of occupation for a human lie detector, Graduate Seng." Nathan said loud enough so the suit would hear.

He briefly reached up to cup my chin in his hand, but remembered where he was and who was watching, and stopped himself.

Zach had been watching the whole time, and he came up to me. "So your staying then?" He said his eyes large with anticipation.

He nodded. "You'd better get Technical Service to fix the lights, Zach. I have a feeling we are going to spend a lot of time in there."

"Great!" He said, heaving a sigh of relief, and pulled his phone from his pocket.

A couple of hours later all that would go home, had gathered their things and made ready to leave. All of them gathered in the great dome to say farewell to our hosts, and to thank them for their hospitality. At first the whole population seemed to have merged, the browns and greys of our people with the dark blue and purple of the Shinra troops. Then reluctantly the two separated, and moved to opposite sides of the Dome.

They now stood the same way we had about three days ago, only then Jeh-ri had been filled with excitement, now feeling quite empty. Hazel would return to the temple, and wouldn't be there anymore when he returned from cleaning up the mess the General had made. She would become a reconnaissance scout like him, and would spend several years at the Project Ark academy before he would see her again.

Realizing it was unfair for him to try to tie her down, her totally changing surroundings and people around her, and had to let her go. They had wept, quietly, sad at their parting, but she had realised from the beginning of their affair, just as he had, that what we had wasn't supposed to last forever.

He would not be able to sustain the change he had made, and she deserved someone who genuinely loved her, and would make her his sim partner. He had thanked her from the bottom of his heart, she had been exactly what he needed, at the time, and she now felt confident enough to move on. A whole new life waited for her on the Cara Maximes, the flag ship of the Project Ark fleet, and having been there himself, and knew she would soar.

The General entered the hall closely followed by Zach and more of his senior officers, and President Shinra, who walked up to Nathan and said some kind of farewell to 'Commander Charrander and his people', having greatly enjoyed their accomplishments.

Jeh-ri shook his head in disgust at that remark, as the arrogant fat man had never shown his face during the entire combat competition. The General seemed to share this sentiment, as he slowly turned toward the man, giving him a stare of such undisguised hatred, it would have burned him to a crisp. The man didn't catch it, how ever and blurted on in total ignorance.

Sephiroth and the commander clasped their hands together, now also taking each others shoulder with the other hand, and as they thanked one another, exchanged something, a glimmer of understanding, having found someone they could see as an equal, a worthy opponent. Then the Fog Temple group stood up, and bowed deeply, which the Sinra group answered, then they turned around, lightly padding on the balls of their once again bared feet, making almost no noise except the soft rustling of their clothes. Hazel managed to hang back, and briefly turned, raising her hand to her former lover.

"Fly, my little Sparrow, fly." Was the thought he send her, as the link between their spirits already slowly began to fade. She stopped, bowed at him, which he returned. Then she turned and sped away after the others.

He felt a warm hand on his shoulder, as Leisa pulled him toward her, resting her chin against his upper arm.

"You did good, Jeh-ri. I have never seen her so happy." She said softly in his ear.

He was just a little sad that he couldn't have been that what had made her that way.

Erik pulled them into a circle, and their heads rested against each other. Being in this enclosed circle felt good, safe. He felt his sadness fade, knowing his friends where here, it would almost be like the Project Ark days, the only ones missing where Admiral Stone, and Jacco Trenn.

"Enak, lets go teach these snotty-nosed brats to dance, shall we?" he said, his savage grin met by the softer but matching expression of his brother. The two of them walked up to the instructor they would be working with, joined by Ian and Leisa, and Zach motioned for him to follow him. He felt nervous knots rise in his bowels. The thought of being at the scrutiny of the General made him very unhappy indeed.

Thank goodness Zach would be there. He gave the shorter man a small piece of paper with an access code, so he could use the elevators and go up of his own accord.

He also handed him a dark blue sweater, like most of the Shinra officers wore. It had insignia on the shoulder signifying him of the same rank as Zach, allowing him to move more freely. As he pulled over his head, he noticed it didn't have the slightly chemical smell of a new garment, but carried Zach's scent.

"This is yours." he said. "Thank you."

"It's okay. I like dark grey better." He said gently tugging at the one he was wearing.

As we approached the General's office, they encountered the man Nathan and him had seen before, and couldn't help but feel there was something off about him.

He came up to him with a little smile playing about his thin lips.

"New addition to the General's administrative staff, Zach?" he said, his voice quite smooth, friendly even.

"Give me a call when this assignment is over. I could give you a review to join my department instead." He handed me a business card. Looking at it briefly, but didn't read it, as he wasn't remotely interested in what that man had to offer.

"I think your special talents will come to very good use in my branch of the Shinra Company and given the amount of time the Generals usual staff lasts, it won't be very long, right Zach?" He sneered at the SOLDIER, who shot the man a warning glance.

"I finish what I start, Mister Tseng, you'll just have to wait your turn." He said, leaving everything in the middle.

At that he just smiled briefly, and left us alone. The technical department had worked fast, replacing the office door and the dismembered filing cabinets. He first went over to the desk, where the new equipment still sat in its boxes. All the files that had been spilled out over the ground, had been stacked into crates.

Jeh-ri decided it would be better get the new equipment up and running, and started to check out what they had been working with previously.

"We'd better clean out his desk, and get set up. I don't know if there is any sensitive info in there, you'd better get it out." Zach nodded, liking that plan. "I'm just going to head back to my room and get my laptop."

He headed back down stairs, and passed the dome, where his friends where standing opposite a group of frighteningly young looking cadets. Leisa straddling her drum while Erik and Ian demonstrated Kata exercises to the beat she was giving. Then the cadets got up, and bit by bit tried to imitate what Erik and Ian just had shown to them. He realized then how much he would miss his training, the early morning swims with Ian. Dragged himself away, trying to get himself psyched up for the daunting task at hand.

Sephiroth entered the now somewhat restored office. Zach was in there, alone. He was cleaning out his desk, putting restricted files in metal boxes that could be locked.

"Where is Seng?" He asked, irritated at the fact he wasn't here, when he expected him to be.

"He went to get his laptop and stuff. He suggested that I should remove anything he wasn't supposed to see." Zach shrugged.

There was a loft shifting of feet behind him as the redhead had returned.

"Good morning, Sir." He said softly, inclining his head as he walked passed him and placed a large flat black leather bag on his desk. He wasn't wearing those weird wide falling pants he usually had on, but dark grey standard army issued pants with large pockets on the sides of his thighs, and simple black leather boots. He also wore a Shinra armed forces sweater he recognised as one of Zach's. Noticing that he was eyeing him up, he turned to face him.

"Sir, you're staring." He observed.

"You have changed. Why?" he asked, wandering at the sudden change. 

"I though it was better to fit in a bit more, as I have to move around in areas visitors usually have no access to. I don't like having to explain my presence all the time."

"I don't approve of this though." He said not agreeing on him carrying the same ranking insignia as Zach.

"That was my doing, I didn't see any harm in it." Zach cut in.

The young man lifted his hand, letting Zach know it was alright.

"At the Project Ark forces I hold the rank of Scout Captain, Sir. It is very much alike to Zach's level.

Really, that's nice, he thought. "And I am supposed to take your word for that?"

"The rank of Scout Captain isn't easily given, Sir. I have worked long and very hard to earn it, and to get my own reconnaissance craft." The redhead had some fire in him, he had to admit. He started to wander how easy it would be to get him to lose his patience. It was something to be explored.

"If you think I am unworthy of your trust, then why do you have me go through your entire filing system?" There was a slight edge in his voice now. He was getting annoyed. Good.

"That wasn't my idea, it was something the President and your Commander concocted together." He said, sounding more sarcastic then he had meant to. It wasn't after all the Graduate's fault that he got roped into this assignment. He was still extremely aggravated at the reprimand he had received from that fat prick who was still in charge of him, and he needed someone to take it out on. This touchy feely young man served the purpose just fine.

"I don't like having a perfect stranger sticking his nose into things that don't concern him."

Zach cleared his throat, drawing his gaze, and frowned at him.

The young man's eyes hardened, ready to give another retort, but suddenly softened, and he smiled. What had caused that sudden shift? The young man lifted up his hands in surrender. He had seen something, and now he had closed himself off, no longer sensitive to his provocations.

"Sir, I am here to do a job, will you excuse me?" he said, his voice low, not one hint of anger or sarcasm to be detected. He continued to stare straight into the much taller man's eyes, and he felt the need to tear into someone bleed away, becoming quite calm.

"Sure, go ahead." He said, now getting curious.

He turned toward the bag he had placed on the desk and unzipped the top. Then he pulled out a flat black rectangle, about the size of an A 4 sheet of paper, and about two inches thick. He pressed his thumb into a circular patch on the top, and the lid popped open.

The screen flashed green briefly, then the program started up. The redhead continued to pull cables and other little pieces of equipment out of the bag, finding power outlets and setting things up, then placed a small receiver on one of the office windows, securing it with some suction cups, and pressed a series of buttons on the laptop after the little receiver started turning, and finally settled in position. Then clicking on several execution orders and running tests. He also placed fitted an earpiece to his ear, and settled cross legged, placing the laptop on his thighs.

"The connection is great. We have real good reception here." He said, sounding pleased.

"Your boss must have very powerful friends to be able to shunt the Diana this easily."

He didn't like it when people talked about things he didn't understand, but he was in no mood to ask for explanations. He shot a glance at Zach, who understood.

"What's the Diana?" Zach asked, now having finished emptying the desk, and sat down beside the Graduate, who shifted slightly so the General could look in over his shoulder. He leant in, resting his elbows on his knees, to look at the vivid pictograms and program files that now ran across the screen.

"The Diana is a very powerful communications satellite. It is so efficient because it exists of several different arrays working together. It is usually only used for government purposes, but I just patched in no problem.

"What do you need the link for?" Sephiroth wanted to know, not being happy at the thought data would soon be broadcasted over the whole planet.

"I need to contact Jacco Trenn, the writer of the program. He is going to talk me through the installation and how to customise the control system."

"I thought you could do that?" Zach asked, now his turn to be confused.

"I know how to run it, and make small adjustments. I don't know about the core programming. I need Jacco's help for that. Hence the link. " He said, tapping the earpiece.

"Won't he be asleep now?" Zach asked, thinking of the time difference.

"Jacco seldom sleeps." He answered.

"When will you be able to start transferring the files, Graduate?" he asked, not wanting to be faced with the mess he had made the previous evening.

"I will need to assemble the hardware first, that will take the rest of the day. We could start tomorrow." He answered, closing the lid, and putting it back in its bag.

"I will expect you to be here at 7.00 hours, is that going to be a problem?" he asked, hoping that there would be, it would be a good reason to try and pick another argument, but the man just smiled softly, as he told that he was used to rising with the sun, which was about 6.00 am.. He stalked out of the office, leaving the two of them to sort things out.

He watched as the general left the office, not happy about not succeeding in trying to provoke him. He let out an explosive breath as the General walked out. Zach saw this and started to laugh.

"Bit abrasive, wasn't he?" he asked, knowing the answer, having seen this kind of behaviour frequently.

"Is he always like this?" Jeh-ri asked, now more than ever dreading of being locked away with him in here, no way to escape.

"You mean hostile and sarcastic?" Zach supplied.

"That too, but looking for someone to take things out on." he said. "He was trying to piss me off, but I'm just glad to have caught on in time, before I lost my temper."

"You, lose your temper?" Zach asked. "That seems very uncharacteristic, Jehr."

"You don't know me very well yet, do you?" he said, stating a fact.

"I just hope that General of yours has a sense of humour, otherwise you are going to be in for a lot of fireworks, Zach"

Jeh-ri decided to lighten the work we had to do, pulling a large folder filled with disks, and several pliers and weird shaped screwdrivers, he would need to assemble the new machine, and opened the media program on my laptop. He had endured the silent rigidity long enough. And after having shut the door, he let every piece of aggressive piece of noise he had stored there tear through the stale office. Zach was happily bouncing around with him, revelling at his rebellion.

"What are we going to do with all the files still in here, Jehr? Zach asked now looking at the old machine, that now sat on the floor beside the desk, looking sad and redundant.

"I can convert everything in there to suit the new software easy enough, I just need to download it into my laptop and reconfigure it."

"Seph is the only one who knows the passwords." He said.

"Well, then Mister Grumpy will have to rise to the occasion and co-op-er-ate!" He said through clenched teeth, punching at the keys of the new keyboard to emphasize that he didn't care much for his bad moods.

"I'll give him a shout." He said, pulling his phone from his pocket while the other placed my laptop so he could connect the old machine with mine. After giving it some power and having checked the link, he folded all the packing material and boxes into a pile, and stuck them outside the door.

"Here" He said, and he gave me a card with his cell phone number on it.

"Ah does this mean were dating now?" Jeh-ri said, eyes wide, smiling.

"No but it does mean you can call me up in the middle of the night for a hefty helping of phone sex, if you want."

"You're a terrible tease, Zach."

"So, you have managed to be finished ahead of schedule, have you?" The General said as he entered the office again, which now had returned to some level of its former tidiness.

Jeh-ri nodded. "Yes Sir. We can make the first transfers now, but well need your access codes." He explained, as he sat on his knees behind the desk, then made room for General to take up his seat. Being this close to him made him quiver with nervous energy, his stomach churned.

"Report, Graduate." He ordered as he sat back looking at the screen.

"Jacco and I are linked by V.D.U. only, he can monitor what is going on in here, but not physically do anything. It is up to us to press the right buttons." He connected the earpiece to a speaker, so he could listen in.

"What must I do?" he asked looking at the screen which now looked just like the old program he was used to, but had a box in the middle, asking for codes to open the files.

"Jacco, you ready?" he asked.

"Yep, what encryption code are they using?"

He opened the window that analysed encryptions. "Standard military, version 11.a" He said.

"Click on that." Jacco said, so he did, the outer framing of the screen that at first had been red, now turned to green.

"Just enter your code and hit execute." He said, sliding the laptop over to the General.

He hesitated, and he could see his problem. The General pulled his gloves off and typed in the codes with the tips of his fingers, and he spotted the tattoo on the back of his hand.

"We are ready, Jac, now what?"

"Drag the files to the conversion program." he took the mouse, and did what Jacco told him.

"It should say: 'Data transfer commencing'"

"What is happening?" Jacco's voice sounded tinny through the little speaker.

"Nothing, it is just sitting there." He said as a small box appeared that read: "Now awaiting access.' The outer screen had turned red again too.

"Huh? Now what?" Jacco asked as he could watch our progress that now a box appeared that

read: 'Primary access denied, commencing system shutdown due to unauthorised access attempt."

"What happened, Graduate?" Sephiroth asked, his voice humourless.

"I have no idea, I'm sorry Sir."

"What happened, Jehri, the link went dead." Jacco said.

"We got kicked out, and it shut down."

"Before or after you clicked on the encryption code?"

"After" he said.

"Then it had been arranged externally. Was the old computer part on an internal network?

"Yes." he said "I remembered pulling out cables that ran from the back, through the inside of the desk, through one of the desk legs, and into the floor. I re-plugged them automatically when we wanted to restart the old one for the data transfer."

"Pull them out, and restart the computer." Jacco said, and he did as instructed.

"Anything happening, Sir?' He asked as the General had taken place behind the laptop again.

"It appears to be up and running again, but I cant open anything." He said, sounding slightly concerned.

He turned the laptop around, and showed what he meant. Nothing responded when the mouse pointer slid over the buttons. He hit reboot, and started up in the primary core program.

"Can you see what is going on, Jac?" he asked, resting my chin on the surface of the desk.

"The primary information is still there, so it starts up just fine. Click on the properties of the hard drive." he did, and could see that only about ten procent of it was currently in use "Ah, I was afraid of that. It has been cleaned out." Jacco said.

"Jacco, did we kill it?" He asked quietly.

"So what went wrong?" The General asked, his irritation rising at the thought that they managed to loose every stored piece of information that was in the old drive. The hairs at the back of his neck stood on end as for one minute he was afraid he was going to fly into another fit of rage.

"The system self destructed at detecting an intruder in its network. It has either erased the data on the hard drive, or dumped it somewhere externally. In the case of it having erased the data, there is a backup somewhere, all we have to do is find it." Jacco explained.

"Where would that be, Jacco?" he asked.

"No idea, could be anywhere in the building even on another continent."

He looked at the General, who just sat there glaring at the black screen.

"I don't think it would have gone that far. The Shinra building's systems are a closed system." Zach offered. It made sense for their internal network to be like the rest of the company. Jealously guarded and protected from the outside world.

Then Jeh-ri got an idea. He pulled the surgical gloves off that he had been wearing when assembling the computer, and started to touch the carpet with his bare hands, searching for clues. Then started thumping the floor with his fist, and found what he had been looking for, discovering a hollow space under the General's desk.

"Here is something here, a hidden compartment." He looked at the General, who's face betrayed nothing, but he suddenly got up fast, his chair flew backwards, and smashed into the wall just behind him. He grabbed one side of the desk and lifted it, pivoting it around the point where the wires entered the ground.

Jeh-ri cringed at seeing the raw display of brute strength with which the man managed to heave the solid hard wood desk several feet away. He realized that if he pushed matters too much, he would easily be thrown through a wall.

Now Zach and him found a seam in the carpet that had carefully been brushed into place, almost making it impossible to see. They wriggled at it and carefully began to tear it away, removing a piece of about one square metre. They found a small access panel, which came to life as it was touched.

"Try one of your codes, Sir." He said, moving over so he could reach. His fingers moved so quickly he could barely see what he punched in, but the panel changed from pink to green, and a part of the floor popped up, releasing gasses into the office. He pulled the lid open and we could now see several rectangular shapes like a series of linked hard drives suspended in a transparent casing.

"I think we have found what caused the data transfer to fail." He said to Jacco. "There is a whole secondary system under here, that is wired directly into the mainframe. The hardware up top is just a slave system. It sensed my computer trying to decode the encrypted files, and shut the access down to protect itself."

"Big brother is watching you, General." Jacco said.

"Is there a way you can pull the data straight out of here?" I asked.

"I don't think so. Those systems are usually designed to be one-way traffic. You'd have to get at the master system, where all stored data gets dumped off to on occasion.

"Any suggestions, Graduate?" The General asked, his face quite stony. He quickly looked around for that huge sword of his, afraid he might fall into another fit of rage at this new trick his boss had played on him.

"No Sir, not at this very moment. You are just going to let me chew on this for a moment."

"Your dismissed, Graduate. I'll see you first thing tomorrow." He said, his voice low and tight. He was very glad to be out of the office. After gathering up his things, he left, and went to see what his friends where up to.

"What the hell are you up to?" Zach asked, after the redhead had closed the door.

"What do you mean?" the General asked, his voice flat.

"He has volunteered to do this for you, to help us out to get the mess you made sorted out, and you're behaving like a complete prick. Why?" Zach snapped.

"He irritated me." Just something about the way he talks, the way he moves, light and fast. Different from what he was used to here. He just couldn't place it.

"He's just so.. I don't know, soft. It was getting on my nerves"

"That's called friendly, Seph. You wanted me to find someone who would talk about stuff, now you are getting him thrown into your lap. If you don't play nice tomorrow, you can grill him yourself, Seph, because I wont play that game anymore." He said, pointing out the lack in social skills his friend had.

"You like him, don't you." The older man asked.

"Yeah, sure. He's friendly, flexible, understanding and caring."

I see, he is everything that I am not, Sephiroth thought. It would be a very accurate description that they where each other's opposites in character. The days ahead would be interesting, that was for sure.

"If you don't need me any further, I think I will go check on how the new instructors are doing." He said then, but didn't wait for an answer and left the office, leaving his friend to stew in his own juices.

They had worked several classes over that day, and where now experimenting with a more experienced group. He spotted Cloud's blond spiky head bouncing around with Erik who had taken him aside and was teaching him how to move more tightly, so he would be more efficient with his energy.

Then the wild looking man spotted him, and motioned to come over. He handed him one of the practice swords and shoved him opposite the wide-eyed Cloud.

Cloud started slowly, going through the motions swiping at him with easily blockable blows, Then Jeh-ri feigned catching one of his swings, and sidestepped the weight he put into it, and him having over extended, fell over forward, as he quickly retreated his sword and placed it in his neck. "Don't be to eager to attack, you tend to over extend, and you're vulnerable." He said, helping him up. "Show me what Erik wants you to practice."

He showed him the movements, but was still using his entire body to do it.

This wasn't working. "Come here a minute." He moved behind him, taking his wrist.

Jeh-ri being a couple of sizes bigger, managed to make him move without having to let go of his arm.

He moved him around, letting the sword swing around slowly. Then taking the sword off him, letting him hold on to his wrist, feeling the movements of his muscles. Erik came over, and he caught on what we where doing, came at us slowly, executing the moves he was trying to make Cloud block.

After repeating it a couple of times, Cloud got his sword back, and only holding his shoulders, letting his energy guide him. He managed to block perfectly, then lunged to the point where Jeh-ri pulled him back, to illustrate the mistake he had made before, knowing what

Erik would do.

Erik having taught him that move, swinging their sword up and across to catch the blow that would have taken his head off. Jeh-ri let go of him, and he did do just as Erik just taught him, getting more confident. One of the Shinra instructors then called out, signalling the end of the training. The Cadets let out a moan of disappointment, but headed for the showers bouncy and exited. Enak came over to Erik, his energy glowing. He was enjoying teaching again and now some of the tension had eased between him and his brother, he seemed a lot happier.

Leisa came up to Jeh-ri and planted a kiss on his cheek. "How was your day at the office, dear?" she asked.

"Interesting, I think there will be a bad storm in President Shinra's office tonight."

"How come?" Ian asked.

"We found a whole second system under the General's desk. He is spied on by his superiors."

"That sucks!" Erik said. "I can't ever imagine Nathan pulling something like that on one of us."

"That is because he trusts us. President Shinra obviously hasn't got a lot of faith in his tamed predator." Leisa said.

"He is tame only because they have some kind of power over him, they lie to him. I could sense it in the board room the other day. The atmosphere here is thick with lies." Enak said.

"What happened that you had to go tearing up the floor in his office?" Ian asked.

Jeh-ri explained what happened when we attempted the data transfer.

"Is that all? All you need to do is recreate the identity code of the old computer, and redirect the data dump back into your laptop. You will need to first make sure there is no alarm on the hardware before you pull out any plugs." Erik said. Jeh-ri pulled his phone out of my pocket, and dialled Zach's number.

"Yes, Jeh-ri, what is it?" the tension in his voice struck home in his stomach.

Why was he making him feel so damn jumpy?

"Has the General spoken to the president yet? " He asked, and could hear how he walked into another room as he closed a door and couldn't hear anyone talking in the background now.

"He is still working himself up to it, he is ready to kill someone."

"Stop him. I have a solution that will make him happy. He will get his files back and will have the pleasure of having outsmarted his boss."

"Are you serious?" he said, and he could hear his voice lighten.

"I will see you tomorrow morning, Zach, you have a good night."

"You too, Jeh-ri."

"You look weird dressed like that, soldier boy." Erik said, looking at the shorter man's clothes.

"Your one to talk, haven't you got any mirrors in that tree you where last living in, you animated leather clad mop?" He snapped, not in the mood for his harassment.

"Hurray for testosterone!! You tell him, Jehr" Ian yelled.

A whole scala of emotions wormed across his face, before grinning at him. "He gave you a hard time, didn't he?"

"He's got problems, that's for sure." He said,

"Come on then give me all you got!" Erik suggested, gesturing with this fists.

He didn't need a second invitation for that as he flew at him, trying to punch him in the face, letting all the pent up anger out, Erik easily dodging and blocking the punches and kicks. After about twenty minutes he was soaked in sweat and badly out of breath.

"Feel better now?" Erik asked. He nodded.

"Fuck me?" he asked.

"That would be a definite 'no', Erik."

_..What is with the change of gender anyway, Jehr. Your'e no man. You where always very tom boyish, but your energy field still has woman written all over it… _ He said, straight into the redhead's mind..

_.. You might have managed to give yourself a dick, and by the looks of Hazel you have learned to use it, but you still carry yourself like a girl, still thinking like one. Sephiroth is no fool, he senses something is off, that's why he was giving you shit today…so why did you change? .._

_.. I found out one day I could…_

_.. Just because you can do something doesn't mean you should.. _

_.. That has never stopped you from not doing anything .._

_.. That is no answer.._

_.. Maybe I did it to stop you from hounding be about sleeping with you.._

_.. I never said anything about sleeping, I just want to fuck you.. _

_.. whatever, the answer is still no .. _

Erik shrugged, and trotted off after the cadets.

Jeh-ri took hold of Enak's arm as they where walking to their room to shower and change. He watched as every one including his brother had disappeared under the streaming hot water, and Jeh-ri pulled him into one of the corners of the room.

"Silver Hairs is attracted to you, and you like that, don't you?" He said, and watched his eyes become jittery, trying to avoid looking into his.

"The others might be too occupied with other things right now, not having noticed how you look at him, but I have had my doubts about you since we where at the academy, Enak. I have seen you with girls, you like them well enough, but you never commit. You always stay aloof." Enak dropped his gaze, frowning.

"I don't want to talk about it, Jehr." He said, a pained look twitched at the corners of his eyes.

"You have been hiding this for so long, expending all your energy to prove the contrary. Why did you never get it out of your system, Enak?"

"Erik." He said, then he dropped his head even lower.

"You are afraid of his opinion on this matter?" he asked, trying to make him see that his preference was his own business and had nothing to do with his brother.

"The fact that he is insecure in his masculinity had nothing to do with you." He said.

"You don't understand, he'll know, he'll be there with me. Feeling everything that I feel. His disapproval choking the life out of me." He pressed the heels of his hands against his eyes, regaining control, calming down. "Why can the just leave me the hell alone."

"Because, you are all he has, dear." He said and as put his arms around him he buried his head against the other's chest. "There where some guys interested in you back home, you surely have noticed."

"Not my type, too.. faggety, you know?"

"You mean limp wristed and stuff?" he asked.

He nodded, and Jeh-ri understood. Their insecurity and taking on female aspects always annoyed him too. If you preferred your own gender, fine, but don't go behaving like the opposite sex, becoming some twisted idea of how they thought a woman must behave.

"If you're a man, be a man about it, if you're a woman, be a woman about it." He said, and Enak nodded in agreement.

In that instant he realised what Erik was getting at. He must seem faggetish to Sephiroth too. It would be something for him to think about, something to change in the way he liked to express himself, the way he moved.

"Will you hold me?" He asked quietly. "I want to try, and feel."

He actually felt like being safe and tucked away with him too, and agreed.

"Jeh-ri Seng, front and centre!" He heard Erik bellow from the shower, and he went in to see what he wanted.

He was still dry, and looked in the mirror with a very unsatisfied scowl on his face.

He grabbed hold of his unruly mop of hair, and pulled it outward.

"I need a haircut!" he said.

"No really!" Leisa gasped, in mock surprise.

"At last!" Ian yelled, "You actually looked into a mirror." He quickly ran over, touching the smooth glass surface, and said: "It is still in one piece! Amazing!"

Jeh-ri went and got a chair from the canteen, and rummaged in his luggage for a couple of combs and a pair of scissors.

Erik had wrapped a towel around his waist and sat down as Jeh-ri gave Leisa one of the combs. He cut away the matted hair at ones side around his ear and temples, and did the same to the other side. In the mean while was Leisa combing the knots and snarls from a wide trip beginning at his forehead to his neck. Not being able to find a trimmer, he rubbed a layer of shaving cream along the sides of his head, and Enak handed Jeh-ri the cut-throat razor from Erik's luggage.

"Wow, that is just so butch of you , Jehr!" Ian jibed, watching as he carefully scraped the edge over Erik's scalp. Then he went into the shower, and stripped the accumulated grease out of the stripe he now had running over his head. Having combed it all out he now had a light red clean hair stream down over his shoulders, still reaching down to his waist. Then he came out, and dried himself off.

"That would look cool braided down, Erik." Leisa said, and held up a comb at him

and got him to take his seat again.

Jeh-ri had always fussed over Erik's hair at the Academy, but now he decided it was one of those things he needed to refrain from doing.

Erik looked at him, a look of puzzlement across his face.

"You made your point, I think it is wise to start acting on it."

He smiled, nodding his head. Leisa braided his hair down, tying it at the nape of his neck.

"Very nice, all clean." Leisa said, and Erik tried to kiss her, but she slapped him lightly across his cheek. Then she handed him a broom, letting him tidy up the mess.

"Maybe your should sell bits of that stuff, you have quite a lot of admirers amongst the boys here, you know." Ian suggested, pointing at the garbage bag now filled with his hair.

"That's not a good idea. Erik's hair has been labelled an illegal substance in four known star systems, you know." Enak said, smiling as Jeh-ri settled behind him, having just come out of the shower himself, and letting him rest against the smaller man's chest, who wrapped his legs around him and gave him a loud noisy kiss in the nape of his neck.

"Don't get any ideas, Nakky, Jehri is a boy now." Erik said, sarcastically.

Enak looked at him from over his shoulder, and let his hand slide between his legs.

"If that is the case, how come you still have a pussy, Jehr?" He whispered, so that only he could hear, gently trailing the tip of his finger just over the opening, tickling the soft hairs there.

…_Just wait for everyone to be asleep.. _he said, effortless sinking into his mind

_..I can hardly wait.. _He breathed into the redhead's ear, his eyes glowing ambers in the dark, as everyone was settling down and Leisa had turned off the lights.

Thankful that everyone was used to falling asleep as soon as the sun went down, he saw Enak kneel beside each one of their little family, ensuring them to fall into a deep first state of sleep, giving them some privacy. Jeh-ri's breathing already accelerating, anticipating what would come. He had a brief crush on the dark haired man at the academy, but had discarded it, as he had sensed his preference.

It made the pain of losing Hazel dim somewhat, but he couldn't help but feel a little sour afterwards. It made him consider if this was a typical guy thing, to be able to move on so fast. But then again, Hazel, he had really been in love with, and he doubted that this night with Enak would be repeated.

He was tender enough though, and him with his soft skin, almond shaped eyes and jet black hair was very breathtaking. Jeh-ri was fascinated with Enak's mouth, as he insisted at kissing him slowly, their toungues caressing, building their exitement. His body lean and muscular, but comforting as he relaxed over him and into him, his hair sliding over his skin, making him shiver. If he where to be with him only once, he decided to go as far as he could, allowing boundaries to shift, allowing the dark haired man to explore the tiny tight opening at the back, easing it to relax.

He looked at the man over him, his expression screwed up in a painful frown, a if in deep concentration, as he slowly started to work his way in. As Jeh-ri adapted and allowed him to sink in deeper, he reached up to touch his face. Jeh-ri's mind started to reel as emotions rose withing the dark haired man, spilling out of his eyes as he buried his face in the redhead's hands. Not being able to contain himself any longer, he started to push in harder, increasing his movements into a rhythm that would allow him his release. Then pouring himself out, and feeding, closing the circle, then breaking it again to reverse it on him.

He rolled off him, pulling the smaller frame Of Jeh-ri on top of him. First using his fingers to enter him, finding it easy as his satiation had left him relaxed and ready. using some of his own fluids as he carefully started, digging in slowly, looking for the g spot hidden inside. He could feel Enak's energy shifting, glad the door had finally been opened for him, as Jeh-ri slowly sank into him, as the boundries so long kept in place where finally breached, deeper and deeper, trying to be kind as he had been, but Enak wrapped his legs around the others waistadn dug his heels into his buttocks, forcing him in all the way.

"Don't be kind, Jehr, he won't be either." He groaned as he tightened around him.

His whole being strained to maintain control, his mouth pressed against his heaving chest, not being able to make too much noise was torture, having to hold back. He bit into the hard muscle, feeling he wouldn't last long against this force, and had to release, break free again. As he came he pressed his mouth against his shoulder, and could feel the vein pulsing there, begging to be pierced. he fed on him, feeling himself bleed back into lucidity. The throbbing behind his ears easing as became himself again.

He felt so utterly spent he couldn't place the soft poking of the water of the shower rain down upon them as he held him up and gently cleaned him off, kissing his shoulders and mouth. His mind whispering into his.. 'thank you.. thank you.. for showing me.." He must have carried him off to bed, as he woke some time during the night, entwined in his arms, but not being able to remember how he got there.

Still remains

_Our bed we live our bed we sleep._

_Making love and I become you_

_Flesh is warm with naked feet_

_Stabbing thorns and you become me_

_ Still remains, stone temple pilots_

The next morning Leisa took up a seat opposite Jeh-ri as he was having breakfast in the canteen, with a strange look in her eyes. Ian hot on her heels, sat down beside him.

"You and Enak.. last night.. did you two.. mate?" She asked. Her eyes squinting, as she had trouble coming to grips with the idea.

"No", he said. "We just fucked like bunny-rabbits."

Ian spat out his coffee, as he nearly choked.

He looked at them both, not really understanding what the fuss was about.

"But he likes guys, though." She said, a pained look on her face.

"Leisa, what's your point? You have seen Jeh-ri naked recently, haven't you?" Ian said.

She just sat there, blinking her eyes, then sighing deeply, feeling awkward.

"He has a major crush on Sephiroth, you know. I guess he just needed someone to redirect it too." He said, shrugging his shoulders.

"What was it like?" Asked smiling slightly, trying to create a girl to girl moment for the two of them, as she reached her hand across the table, palm facing upward, wanting to share his memories. But it just felt wrong, to inappropriate right now. He felt kind of sad that he had lost that too, as he reached over, and gently closed her hand, curling the fingers toward her palm with his own.

He was rejecting her again, and he could see a slight glimmer of pain slide across her pretty face. "You wouldn't like it, Leisa. I'm just too different now."

He just smiled, letting it hang there. Knowing it would freak her out something aweful if he would tell how far he had gone.

"A gentleman never kisses and tells."

"Oh thank goodness, it was afraid you where actually going to tell her everything! That would have been such an over-share!" Ian exclaimed.

"Just because you're to immature to handle sharing doesn't mean that we shouldn't, Ian."

"Fine, just as long as you wait for me to leave the room." Ian said, shuddering.

"That wont be long, that's your second coffee already." Leisa pointed out, knowing it always made him disappear into the toilets for quite a while. Ian made a wet loud indelicate sound at her in reply.

Jeh-ri got up and blew her a kiss, and went to get his stuff.

"Have a nice day playing with Silver Hairs, Darling!" Ian called after him, his voice lilting effeminately.

As he walked up to the elevators, he spotted Zach talking with some of the other officers, and he joined as he punched in his code to go up.

"Good morning, Zach." he greeted him.

"You sleep ok?" he asked.

Sure, what sleep I did manage to get after one of my superior officers fucked me stupid.

I nodded. "Why do you ask?"

"You just look different, more relaxed or something." He said.

He remember Ian always noticing whenever Hazel would have graced hem with one of her visits at night, always feeling very quiet and focused.

He just smiled mysteriously at the messy haired man, letting him guess why.

"You get up to anything last night?" he asked.

"We shaved Erik, than had a pool party in our shower room as the drain got blocked."

"Oh, sounds fun." He said dryly.

"I'll give you a call next time, your welcome to come join us." 

"Okay." 

Then they both burst out laughing.

"What mood is he in today?" He asked, not wanting the General to ruin my currant state of bliss. He just shrugged his shoulders, indicating he had no idea.

They approached the door of his much-dreaded office, and Zach knocked on the door.

"He's not in yet." He said, fishing a key out of his pocket and unlocking the door.

He reactivated the link finding Jacco already awake, telling him what Erik suggested. Then he guided him into changing the identity code to match the old system, then rewiring the system in the floor to the laptop. As he pulled the cable out of the plastic housing, he cringed briefly expecting an alarm to start blaring through the building, but the Shinra Electrical Company was so secure in its trickery, it had placed no alarm system.

Jacco told me how to access the files that had been filed using yesterdays date.

As he was kneeling behind the desk again, sifting through the programs, and Zach walked in with another chair for Jeh-ri to use, as he fell into the General's seat.

"What?" he asked seeing the other's eyes go wide with horror at the sight of him in that seat of power.

"Nathan and I are as close as you can get, but I will never ever take place in his chair. Not even his wife will do that."

"It is just a chair, Jeh-ri, what is the big deal?"

"Don't ask, I cant even explain it to you, but it is just not done." He said shuddering at the thought of feeling the Generals energy entering his root chakra. "It would like being fingered on an energetic level, or something" he explained.

"Ooh.. kinky, what is so bad about that?" Zach asked.

"I realize that half the population here would probably kill to be placed in that position, but that doesn't mean I feel the same, Zach." he said.

"Don't you find him attractive?" Zach asked. "I noticed you get all jumpy around him."

"He makes me feel uneasy sometimes, but for me it has a different reason."

_I am actually a woman who is pretending to be a man, and he has senses it, although he doesn't realize it._

He thought.

"Hm, you don't strike me as strictly hetero, though." Zach said, leaning back, analysing the red haired man beside him.

"Who ever said I was, I just find him way to dominating and hostile." He didn't really enjoy this conversation as it struck way to close to home and decided to change the subject.

"Lets get some work done, shall we?"

Zach held up his hands in surrender and moved closer so he could look over the others' shoulder at the screen of the laptop

"Ok I found one folder that says; 'Emergency dump', the time of day and the date are a match." He said to Jacco.

"Good, now, once again, hit commence data transfer." he did, the screen edge turning green again. "Click and drag the dump-file to the encryption icon."

A box appeared on the right hand corner, indicating the file being uploaded and decoded.

"It looks like we got it back." he said, glancing sideways at Zach who smiled widely.

"Well done. Where did you get that idea from, Graduate?" A deep voice said from just inside the door.

"Good-morning General." Jeh-ri said, keeping his voice level to match his tone. He briefly wandered how long he had been standing there

"You've got the files back, then?" He said, sitting down on his chair, after shooing Zach off with a gesture.

He nodded. We are in the system now, you can see everything they have done over the last six months or so." He turned the laptop back on his desk, so he could see for himself.

Then he moved off to the other side, now that Zach and the General where flipping through all the dump files. He continued to check the new hardware and started to upload the Trenn Omega program.

Every now and then he heard a sharp intake of breath from the dark haired man, indicating he could see to what extend his friend had been under surveillance. He snuck a look at Sephiroth, who seemed disinterested, as he had been anticipating what they would find there.

"Assholes.. " He heard Zach say.

"The new system is up and running, Sir." He said, and the General looked over briefly to signify he had heard.

"I can now transfer the files from there to here, then we can make a start on that." He pointed at the filing cabinets and the crates.

"I could ask Erik if he knows a way to keep them out of your system, Sir, if you like." he offered.

"Is he the one that came up with how to get the files back?" the General asked.

"If you want things nice and neat and according to the rules, you ask Jacco. I you want stolen, illegal, contra ban and industrial espionage, you ask Erik." He said, winking at Zach.

"You mean I have a spy in my academy?" He asked.

"What do you think he taught us at Project Ark, Sir" He asked.

"The file said he taught intelligence gathering and aura reading." He answered.

"That is what the file says, and that was his official task. He got fired for teaching us to think for ourselves, to be individuals with a mind of our own. That is not very handy in an institute that depends on discipline and obedience. And he taught us various ways of getting what we need to survive when cut off from our help-lines."

"And what does his brother teach?" the General asked.

"He teaches how to find food and water in the most hostile of environments. You can safely let yourself be dumped anywhere with a breathable atmosphere, and he will get you where you need to go and get you there healthy and ready to fight if need be."

"Cool." Zach said, and he sounded impressed, "What is aura reading, by the way, I never got to ask any of you."

"Every living thing has an energy field, or an aura. This aura is built up out of several layers, depending on the complexity of the lifeform. Then there is called the etheric double. It reflects your physical state. Those who can read it, can tell of a persons physical state, enabling us to spot disease at an early state, or physical discomfort, but you can also read emotional states in it, love, hate, lust, envy, fear, happiness, you name it."

"And you can do this?" Sephiroth asked, his voice level, but not disinterested.

"Sometimes I can, I have to concentrate hard, it is easier for me to pick up impressions from earth, water, or air. I can sense where people are once I have met them and touched them, but I cannot read what they are thinking unless I get into my truth-sayer trance."

"Your what?" Zach asked.

"I step out side my body, my consciousness leaves temporarily; and I can just stand over there, and observe you."

"You did that in the boardroom when you first got here, didn't you?" The General asked. "What did you see?" his voice quite intent.

"You are surrounded my liars, Sir, but I don't think I am telling you something you didn't already know."

"Was I lying?" he asked, his voice underlined with a powerless threat, as he already knew the answer.

"No, you have no need to."

"Do you tell lies?" he asked, his voice becoming level again.

"I am not very good at it, and I don't see any need to." He answered.

"Then what did you see between Zach and I?"

"That you have been close, and still are, but on a different level." Zach slightly coughed at that.

"I think we'd better concentrate on the job at hand. Zach's feeling a little uncomfortable." The General said, a slight smile curling at the corner of his mouth.

"Ah, but he is so cute when he's blushing, Sir" Jeh-ri jibed, and connected the new computer with my laptop so the files could be sorted into the new program.

"Let's keep the tomfoolery to a minimum shall we? You have a very big job ahead of you, so let's not waste time." He said his voice stern but not all together unfriendly.

"Yes Sir." Jeh-ri said.

The next days he spend sorting through the paper work that had been spilled from its folders, having his new boss instructing him how he wanted it filed for easy access. At first he just wanted everything the same as it had been before, but as Jeh-ri pointed out that the new system actually allowed him to make his own adjustments, to make sense to him.

"That would make it hard for anyone else to make sense of it, wouldn't it?"

"Yes and no. You devise a quick key for yourself and hand this over to a couple of people on a need to know basis, for when you are away, and they need to find files. That way you control who has access."

"Erik teach you this?" he asked

"Nathan did. I have done the same thing for him about five years ago. That is how we got to know each other. I used to read all sorts of scientific reports and magazines, and as we did this boring stuff, I kept him up to speed with latest news, in health care, pharmaseutical developments."

The General got called away for a few moments, and left the room.

"You sleep with your commanding officer?" Zach asked, making sure the older man had really gone.

"Yes. I have. Why do you ask?" He asked, as he kept filing folders into the new order we had decided on. When he didn't answer, he stopped what was doing, and looked at him as he leant against the wall.

"Do you find it inappropriate? You have slept with Sephiroth." He reminded him.

"How could you tell?" he asked his eyes curious.

"You're energy field is welcomed by his."

He frowned deeply at that indicating he wanted more explanation.

"You look very sparkly to me, there is lots of movement all around you. The General is continually shrouded. It is like his hair, but then more solid, and it swirls all around him. When you talk together, the sparks you have, they get imbedded in that shroud, and they swirl along, and some wisps of his shroud wraps itself around and through you."

"You where going to tell me something personal." Jeh-ri said. He looked at him again with surprise and puzzlement. "You keep looking at the door, making sure he's not there. I don't have to be a mind reader all the time, simple observation will do.' He smiled at that.

"Aeris and I broke up a couple of days ago." He said. "Not because of him and I, we don't have a relationship or something, it is just.." he stopped looking for a word that would fit the situation.

"Maintenance, something that arises out of necessity." He supplied, and Zach nodded.

"I know how that works." he said, still glowing in the effects of Enak's attention, now several days ago.

"Aeris just didn't like me being here, involved in what Shinra is doing. She says if this place needs to be protected by violence, nothing good can come from it."

"What do you think." He asked, seeing her point perfectly, but also noticing that Zach didn't.

"I don't know." He said, heaving his hands in the air. He realised that he, like everyone here hadn't given any thought to that fact. "She just said she couldn't be with me being involved with something that she disagrees with so deeply."

He actually felt a little sorry for him, he really liked this girl, whom he had never seen, but got a sweet pleasant impression of as he spoke of her. He went to place a hand on his shoulder blade, as he often did with people when they where sad and needed comforting. He stopped himself just in time, as Ian had pointed out to him on various occasions wasn't a very masculine thing to do. He had almost slipped again.

Thankfully Zach was to engrossed with his inner conflict to take notice of what he had almost done. Sephiroth had though, as he had walked into the office at that exact moment. "Am I interrupting something here?" he said, his voice humourless.

"Absolutely not, Sir. I was just wandering if it is okay to go check on the training classes for the younger cadets." He asked, deflecting the suspicion in his eyes.

"Alright, but I will expect a progress rapport first thing tomorrow morning."

That creep! He actually thought they would sneak off somewhere for a quicky or something!

Zach softly banged the back of his head against the wall, indicating he wasn't in the mood for writing reports.

"Come on, Zach, lets go see the little ones dance!" He said, grabbing a clipboard and a pen from the wall.

"If you tell me how to write the rapport, I will do that later. I want to move around a bit, have some fun, and you need to lighten up!" He said as he punched him in the arm and broke into a run, wanting to get some exercise.

Once down in the dome he grabbed a practice sword from the rack, and joined Leisa and Ian. All the cadets where standing on one side of the great space, and where executing advancing attack moves to a complicated beat Enak was playing on one of the drums. Advancing in pairs, moving with fluidity and confidence, then the next couple would go, until almost reaching the other side, where they where met by Ian and Leisa, who countered their moves before sending them back to the beginning of the line for another turn.

Jeh-ri was pleasantly surprised to see some of them almost breaking though the defence moves the much more experienced instructors made.

He nudged Zach in the ribs as he saw Cloud straddling a drum beside Enak, his eyes closed in deep concentration, adding his own distinct counter to Enak's rhythm. Zach trotted over to Cloud, and they started talking.

He walked up to Leisa, to take over for a bit, and had fun letting my self being pushed back wards by the advancing attack, occasionly poking a couple of the cadets in the ribs as they got a little carried away and forgot to keep their guard up. Then the instructor signalled the end of the lesson and every one filed out. He walked up to Cloud who still sat on his drum, smiling happily.

"You keep a good beat, kiddo." He said.

"He twisted his ankle, so I gave him this job to do." Enak said. "Could you check him out.?"

Jeh-ri nodded, and got him to roll off the hour-glass shaped drum.

"Enak told me to keep my boot on." He said. "He said it would stop it from swelling."

"That's right. Could you carry him to our room? I need to go to the kitchen and get something."

Enak swept the blond young man up on his back, and disappeared with him.

Jeh-ri slipped into the kitchens and asked the cook there for some raw cabbage leaves, then went to the infirmary and got something to bandage his ankle with.

When he entered the room they had put Cloud on one of the Borronix hides we had brought, and had pulled his boot of.

Gently prodded the tendons around the bones, moving the foot around to see where the damage was. He winced slightly, but he couldn't detect any serious damage. He rubbed some arnica tincture in his skin, carefully prodding the sore tendons , then packed the ankle in the cabbage leaves that had first been crushed using one of the smooth stones he had in his luggage. Then bandaged the joint, also encasing the stone he had used against the spot where most of the pain was centered. Cloud got given a herbal mixture to drink that would stimulate his body to heal itself. He screwed up his face at the bitter taste, but swallowed it down anyway.

As Zach and the others where having their dinner, he wrote Sephiroths progress report. Adding the part of Cloud's injury, knowing if he didn't, gossip would do it for him. He went by the other instructors, and spoke to them, getting their opinion on how things where progressing, and they all seemed enthused by the results.

He was quite pleased to have plenty of positive things to include in the report.

After dinner, Jeh-ri decided that it would be best if Cloud and Zach stayed with them, as he needed to keep an eye on him, and he didn't want some of the older more narrow minded elements of the troop giving him a hard time about having his foot wrapped in cabbage leaves.

Cloud actually enjoyed being with the seniors, sharing all the banter and bullshit to and fro. Blushing slightly as Leisa came out of the showers wearing nothing but a towel, after she spotted the two intruders she darted back in the showers with a theatrical squeal and put on a large falling pair of pyjamas.

"Wow! If I had know earlier that that was what it would take to have you put some damn clothes on, I would have invited them sooner, Leisa!" Ian jibed, as he sat down on the mattresses that lay against the wall. "If it where up to her, she'd run around naked all day. She is such an exibitionist." Ian said, in mock disgust.

"Have never heard you complain before, Captain." Leisa said, pointedly.

Erik came over to where Jeh-ri was sitting beside Zach, who had wrapped a protective arm around Cloud's shoulders. He zonked himself down between Jeh-ri's legs, and handed him a comb. He undid the tie at the end of his braid, slipping it around his wrist, as he shook his hair loose. His hair now falling all around his shoulders and streaming off his head to form a light gold red pool in his lap. Now Cloud and Zach could see the elaborate pattern of blotches and spots all along his back and shoulders.

"He looks like a leopard, doesn't he." Jeh-ri said, poking Erik in the ribs. He jerked his head back, sweeping his hair back so the smaller man was covered with a shiny wavy blanket. Cloud and Zach laughed as he struggled to get out from under the waterfall of hair..

Jeh-ri grabbing hold of Cloud's leg and squeezing the thigh muscle, making him giggle as he jerked his leg away.

"Stop spoiling him, Seng. Before you know it, the whole room will be filled with little snot nosed brats, all wanting you to take care of them." Erik growled as Jeh-ri pushed him away toward Leisa so she could pull the comb through his hair.

"It was a little irregular of you to invite a cadet like him in here." Leisa said softly, who had come to sit beside him.

"I invited Zach who is a senior officer just like us, who in turn took a friend along."

"Oh, is that right, Jehr." She said, not really buying his story, but letting it rest anyway.

"What are you complaining about, Leisa, we needed more girls here anyway." Erik grinned at her, winking.

"You smell bad, go take a shower. And you owe me for cutting your hair too." Jeh-ri said, pushing him away, and not happy with the comment he made about Cloud and Zach. But they took it quite well, Zach blowing a raspberry at him.

"What did you have in mind, Seng?" He asked as he sat opposite him, on his knees, and pressed his forehead against his as he spoke.

"I want you to rub my shoulders." He said softly, looking in his eyes from under his eyelashes.

"I need to be fed" He whispered in his ear, before pushing his tongue in.

He shoved him away, drying his ear off with the sleeve of his sweater..

"Deal." He said, as he disappeared into the shower.

"I hate it when you do that." He said.

"Zach does that to me too sometimes, it is so disgusting.!" Cloud said. Zach laughed, grabbing his chin, trying to stick his tongue in Clouds ear who leant over to Jeh-ri's lap to get away, who grabbed hold of his head, and drew his tongue across his face. He spluttered wildly, breaking free, rubbing his face furiously..

"You really enjoy touching each other, don't you." He said.

"You enjoy Zach touching you." He said.

"That's different, we're friends." He said, not getting the point.

"So are we, Cloud. We all met at the Project Ark Academy, and Enak and Erik where our senior officers just like Zach is to you." Now he could understand how it worked.

"But you tell Erik what to do." He said, and Leisa and him laughed at the boy's confusion.

That is because I am older than he is. He might outrank me, but I get to order him around when we are not on duty."

"How old are you then?" He asked.

"I'm 36, the twins are 23, Leisa and Ian are 28." His eyes went wide again.

"You don't look that old.." Zach said.

"You're a peach, Zach. but how old do you think Nathan is?" Jeh-ri asked.

"Ehh.. Forty something?" Zach asked.

"He's seventy-five. He is of physical and spiritual maturity now. In regular years, like the way time moves here he would be about.. forty, fifty years old." Jeh-ri said.

"Time moves differently on Althea, then?" Cloud asked.

"Yes, one week here is about four there, and the days are twenty eight hours long, weeks have thirteen days, and we have fourteen months."

"How is that possible?" Zach asked, trying to make sense of it all.

"You move through a time zone barrier as you move from system to system. It is almost like ours sits in some kind of bubble. When we leave it takes about a week to get to the 'border', but only a couple of hours to reach this planet." Leisa explained.

Erik came out from under the shower, drying himself off, and gathering his hair in a low pony tail in the nape of his neck

Then he pulled Jeh-ri around so the smaller redhead sat with his back toward him. He pulled sweater off the body in front of him as his rough hands first trailed across his bare back, prodding the spine.

"You want to be touched, Zach?" Jeh-ri asked, and he nodded. He motioned for him to come sit in front of him, so he could rub his shoulders, then he got Cloud to sit in front of him. The boy had tilted his head back in enjoyment as Zach gently kneaded the muscles surrounding his neck. He was now becoming drowsy because of the medicine he had been given before, and soon his head started to sink onto his chest. Zach moved to lay him down on one of the mattresses and covered him up.

Jeh-ri felt Erik close in on him, his breath caressing the skin as he pulled the hair away from his neck. He gently breathed into his ear, and took the earlobe between his lips, and let his mouth slide to the Nutria vein which the rubbing had brought to the surface. He had a hard time concentrating on Zach as Erik broke the thin skin, and started to feed in slow deep draughts. The rhythm of his swallows in time with Jeh-ri's heartbeat. His hands slid down and around to his chest. "I miss your tits, Jehr." He whispered, after closing the vein again with his tongue.

"Fuck me." he said.

"No" he answered.

"Fuck me."

"No."

"Why not? Don't you like me?

"No."

"Ah, well, that settles it then."

He jumped up, and pulled a pair of black leather trousers from his trunk, and a sleeveless sweater. Then he tied on his boots.

"Where are you going?" Leisa asked.

"I'm gonna get laid. There are bound to be some hot blooded females in Midgar waiting to be conquered.

"Undoubtedly." Leisa said dryly.

"Prolong and abstain, Erik." Jeh-ri said, "They wont be what you are used to."

"I'll keep it in mind, little one." He said and stalked from the room.

"He can't get off the grounds without clearance, Jehri." Zach said.

"You wanna bet? He will find his own way in and out." Enak said. "Once he is on the prowl, there is no stopping him until he finds what he wants."

…._Maybe you should have, you know_.. Leisa spoke into his mind._ …You did it for Enak…_

…_Enak needed a certain baundry to be broken, and when he asked for my help, he did it nicely. Erik just wants me to be a notch on his belt, Leisa…besides, my equipment is wrong at the moment. _

He answered her, avoiding Zach hearing their little interaction.

Zach jumped up, and ran to the elevators with Leisa and Jeh-ri in his wake. He went up to another smaller boardroom that had windows all along the wall, that gave an exellent view of the darkening grounds below. They could see Erik moving now, as he jumped from rooftop to rooftop, from the different buildings and barracks within the perimeter fence, looking for a way to get as close as he could, then backed away, to get a longer run then he took off. He moved with such speed, you could barely see him go, but the next moment they could see him vaulting into the air, making two, three somersaults before landing in the dirt well away from the fence. He turned, and waved at them, then he was gone.

"He knew we where up here?" Zach asked them. The smaller redhead just smiled at him mysteriously.

For a moment he imagined sliding his arms around his bare waist and resting his lips against his spine, and Zach put his arm across the smaller man's shoulders as he must have read his mind.

"There will be hell to pay tomorrow." He said. "Sephiroth doesn't like it when his staff goes a.w.o.l."

"It is Saturday tomorrow, I don't think we'll see him until Sunday night or monday morning, I am afraid." Leisa said.

"Seph will send you to go find him." He said, turning to face him.

"That would be an exercise in futility. If Erik goes to ground, no one will find him until he wants to be found." Jeh-ri said, his mood spoiled by the thought of being forced to hunt down his friend on his days off.

"I suppose we'd better get some sleep. It is going to be a long day tomorrow." He said. And They headed back to the room where the others had already settled for the night and where breathing softly. Zach crawled up to Cloud, who moaned in his sleep, and Jeh-ri went over to Enak who was so sound asleep that he didn't even stir as he wormed his way into his arms, his chin resting on his head.

The next morning they were al awakened by the persistent ringing of Zach's phone. As he answered, they could all tell by the sound of his voice that there would be trouble, even we could only hear one side of the conversation.

"I'm in the visitors room."

"I know"

"I don't know."

"Ok, I will bring them."

He closed his phone and looked at them as they where all on the alert. "You and Enak are wanted in the general's office, in one hour." He said.

Cloud stirred as Jeh-ri unwrapped the bandage around his ankle. He gently prodded the spot that he had indicated was tender the night before.

"On your feet, Cadet." He said. He stood somewhat unsteady at first, then Jeh-ri took hold of the foot and gently turned it round. "Put your weight on it, slowly." He did, without showing discomfort. Then he backed away from him. "Walk heel to toe, really small steps." He did so again without showing pain. "Congratulations, you are cured." He told him to take it easy, and walk barefoot for a day or so.

"Thank you." Cloud said.

"No problem, I would have done it for anyone." The older man said as he put the bandage in the garbage and put the stone back in the medicine kit.

"That is not what I mean. I mean for letting me stay. I liked it." He said. His face sincere.

"That I would not have done for anyone. Take care of yourself, Cloud." He said, and was very tempted to just press the palm of his hand against his, the pulse he had received several days ago still fresh in his mind, but decided to let it rest. After he got dressed, he quietly left the room, and padded over to his dorm.

Sephiroth looked at the feeds from the security camera's over and over again. Rewinding and fore winding the piece of film from several different angles all of them showing Erik vaulting over the fence, than waving before disappearing into the night. He had to admire the man's speed and agility, surpassing that of the people on guard duty that night, as they hadn't even seen him jump. If it hadn't been for President Shinra chewing a chunk out of his ass, he would have actually enjoyed it, seeing it as a somewhat immature but amusing prank.

Zach entered together with Enak and Jeh-ri, after a polite knock on the door.

"Care to explain this?" He said.

"What do you want me to say." Zach said. "Technically he is off duty, it is the weekend."

"I know. I just got off the phone with President Shinra wondering how someone so easily managed to breach security." He said, coldly.

"He probably didn't realize he needed to ask for permission to leave, General." Enak said.

"There is a sign on the fence that states that all personnel must request clearance to leave the grounds, Unit member Stone." The General said, his voice tight with sarcasm, warning him not to make excuses. .

"What do you have to say for yourselves." He snapped at the two outsiders. "I don't know what kind of organisation the Commander likes to run over on Althea, but here we have procedure to follow."

He was incredibly irritated about something, but he couldn't pinpoint what. Was it the fact that these people where so incredibly different from what he was used to. The stark contrast between them and every one here so enormous it seemed like a maddening itch he just couldn't scratch as he didn't know how. Ever since the simulations had ended, his headache had increased again, gaining in strength, and now a new Mako treatment was scheduled for tomorrow. With that hanging over his head, and one of his new instructors going a.w.o.l., was just the last straw.

"Sephiroth, I think you are blowing things out of proportion." Zach said, quietly.

"Do you think I should tolerate this kind of behaviour?" He coldly. "I don't have time to cope with this. I expect someone of his calibre to have a certain level of maturity, and not to behave like some disobedient adolescent. We have enough of that in our cadets, Zach."

He looked at the two officers standing just behind his friend, their eyes locked at him, looking with those knowing stares. They where seeing right through him, seeing his discomfort just as the little one had done that morning in the desert. But he was way to irritated to let anyone touch him.

"What do expect of us, Sir?" the black haired man asked. I expect you to back the hell away from me and to stop making my life more complicated then it already is, that's what!! He wanted to snap at them, but restrained himself at the last possible moment.

"I want you out of my Academy until you find him. He will be made an example of. I know I can't hold you responsible for his behaviour, but I think that maybe you should make him realize that what he does reflects ill on you all." The Project Ark people nodded in understanding.

"I realize that sending a squad of my own will do no good, so I'm sending you out to go bring him in, by what ever means necessary." he said, some of the stress fading from his voice as he no longer had the strength to keep the anger level up. It wasn't fair to take it out on these two, but he needed to vent his frustration before it split his head.

"Sir, I hope you wont throw him in the brig for any length of time." The little redhead asked.

"Why shouldn't I, Seng?" he retorted. "This is insubordination, and it can't go unpunished."

"We know. It is just, Erik doesn't take to being locked up too well." Enak said, a definite worried tone in his voice.

"Than that is the perfect befitting punishment, isn't it.?" He concluded. He actually briefly enjoyed the look of concern flash across the faces of these people, and watched them exchange glances. "So be it, Sir. I just want to warn you, we wont be back until Erik allows us to find him. It could take a while."

Seng walked up to the desk, and placed a clip board on the corner.

"What is that?" He asked, not in the mood for more work.

"It is the progress report you requested, Sir" He said quietly.

"Your dismissed, take the other three officers too, and go. It will be a welcome change not having you lot around disrupting things, and you," he said, stabbing his index finger his younger friend, "are going with them. I expect to be kept up to date regularly." And with a violent sweep of his hand ordered them out of his office.

He took hold of the clipboard, happy to have his mind focus on something else. The youngest groups had show a great improvement, now having the skills to move on to a higher level more easily. The instructors pointing out that the classes led by the Stone twins, where getting more focused, eager to improve, and the ones in the more advanced groups that where having trouble where now up to speed with the rest.

He had to admit, that these people proved an asset, taking care of their students with a little extra attention. Keeping a professional attitude in all their dealings with the cadets and the instructors. On the contrary when dealing with their own, Sephiroth mused. Then he noticed an envelope tucked away under the standard forms and pulled it out.

It outlined a plan to bring Erik in without causing damage to himself or others. He had frowned at first, but felt his mood soften as a small paragraph had been written the small round hand he had gotten to know as Graduate Seng's.

It said:

_I know you are in pain, I just want you to know you don't deserve it. I can help you, and you know it. Al you have to do is lower your guard just a little._

_What I need from you is to decide which you need more, your pride, or your health. _

J.

Sephiroth stared at the note for a long time, not really knowing what to do about this unfamiliar feeling that was creeping into his stomach. He had just never gotten over the ever lasting feelings of thorough discomfort he had gotten programmed into his mind at the hands of his father, and the physical manipulations he had suffered as his body was forced to take on the proportions it had today.

He had found the small redheads prodding fingertips not entirely unpleasant the other time he had permitted him to touch him, as the intent behind it had been kindness rather than the disinterested professionalism he usually received. He was grateful he now had several days to mull this offer over, and decided to let things develop at their own pace.

Continued in 'Midgar Mayhem'


End file.
